Warsaw Traffic Safety Commission discussed parking in the downtown area and a right-in and right-out access for Warsaw Commons during its meeting Wednesday.
The commission reviewed downtown parking issues and solutions that came from a public meeting the city held May 30 at city hall.
The city wants the community to fill out parking surveys that can be found on the city’s website at www.warsaw.in.gov The deadline is June 15.
During Wednesday’s traffic meeting, Cindy Dobbins and Mike Klondaris, traffic commission members, presented the results of the public traffic meeting to the traffic commission.
They said some of the parking issues that came from the public meeting were employees and owners of downtown businesses taking up patron spots. Other issues were parking signage that is not clear and streetscape planters too close to the road interfering with car doors.
Solutions suggested by the community were limiting private parking hours to business hours so the parking spots open up after hours.
Another suggestion was to provide flexible parking times with color-coded time signs and paid parking tags, and providing parking locations for employees and use the former license branch lot for parking. Another solution was for landlords to provide parking for downtown residents.
Dobbins also said there is an issue with downtown residents parking in paid spots.
Klondaris said it would be a good idea to consider having parking signs that inform drivers of parking areas ahead. He said that would be helpful to those who live here as well as visitors.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer suggested Dobbins and Klondaris work together to quantify and prioritize the parking data using a spread sheet in terms of cost, users and convenience.
This will be taken from the parking surveys and see how that fits in line with the parking issues and solutions presented at the May parking meeting.
In other business, the commission heard from Jeremy Skinner, Warsaw city planner, that Indiana Department of Transportation has approved a right-in and right-out lane for the Warsaw Commons commercial project on Ind. 15. The traffic commission previously recommended to INDOT the right-in and right-out lanes.
Dobbins asked if the city has had communication with Da-Lite Screens to see if it has concerns.
Skinner said the city has talked with Da-Lite and they have not brought up concerns, but do want a traffic signal at CR 300.
Klondaris said he had some concerns with the right-in and right-out on Ind. 15 and how it will affect residents who live in the Warsaw Commons area.
In other business, Kip Shuter, Warsaw Police Department traffic administrator, said he received a concern from a resident who lives on Poppy Street about drivers not following the 30-miles-per-hour speed limit.
The traffic commission approved Shuter’s recommendation to lower the speed limit on Poppy Street from 30 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour. The city council will need to approve an ordinance for the lowering of the speed limit.
