New parking plan proposed for Washington Avenue
Customers of the popular Washington Avenue area in the Heights may need to start saving up their quarters due to the possibility of parking changes in the future.
A new plan by the City of Houston Parking Management Division proposes that Washington Avenue become a Parking Benefit District, according to City of Houston spokesperson Chris Newport.
Newport said that the main goal of a PBD is to put a price on on-street parking so that revenue can be used to fund neighborhood improvements such as sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting. Revenue will come from parking meters all along Washington Avenue and parking permits for side streets in surrounding residential areas, Newport said.
Newport, also a Jones Business School graduate student, said Washington Avenue was an area of concern for the city because of recent commercial growth in the area.
"Many departments have known about the growing pains of Washington Avenue for quite some time," Newport said. "The primary reason we became aware of the problem was through the strong civic association in Neighborhood 22."
Newport said this neighborhood association expressed concerns over Washington Avenue customers parking on residential streets to avoid parking charges nearer to businesses. One of the proposed solutions to this problem is to make these residential areas permit-only parking zones, according to Newport.
Newport said this change would not only alleviate residents' concerns about noise, but also incentivize developers to invest in larger parking solutions in the commercial area.
"One of the things that we know from speaking with developers is that no one is interested in investing in a parking structure while parking is free elsewhere," Newport said. "By controlling the inventory of free parking, this proposal starts making projects that the private sector is looking at more attractive."
Robby Cook, a manger at 360 Sports Lounge, said he does not completely support what he knows about the proposal at this point.
"With permit parking, they can put up one sign and then tow the entire street," Cook said. "The meters are better because you can park there and not worry about getting towed, but you can still get a ticket if the meter runs out. At least the money itself goes to the city."
Cook said representatives from 360 Sports Lounge participated in meetings with the city of Houston to discuss the proposal, but the outcome of these meetings was unknown.
"It didn't seem like we had any say," Cook said. "It sounds like they're basically saying, 'This is what's going to happen.'"
Cook said 360 Sports Lounge benefitted from having its own parking structure for customers. This parking structure is free during the week and $10 on Friday on Saturday nights, with two-hour parking available for free with validation, according to Cook.
Brown College senior Grace Serio said she thought that more parking options nearer to businesses would help the problem immensely.
"As it is, there aren't any large parking structures, so you basically have to try to find spots on side streets in the middle of neighborhoods," Serio said. "One time I was out with a group, and we left Washington because we couldn't find parking. You're driving past all of these different bars, and there's just no parking."
Bree Ryan, manager of Brixx Bar on Washington, also cited security issues that can arise when customers park farther away from the commercial area.
"If you're parking on a back road just because you don't want to pay, then you're running a risk," Ryan said. "There are
definitely break-ins. In any area of town where there are a lot of bars, people will be watching vehicles knowing that the owners will be inside bars for a long time."
Ryan said she feels that current parking issues can deter potential customers away from bars on Washington.
"I don't think it's a drastic loss, but out of frustration people will just go to another area of town," Ryan said. "With the influx of customers on Friday and Saturday nights, the street is completely flooded with people, and it becomes harder and harder to find a spot."
Ryan said Brixx has its own parking lot maintained by a parking attendant that has a $10 flat fee on weekends.
Newport said the proposed meters along Washington Avenue would cost $1 per hour from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and then $2 per hour from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. There will also be a $7 flat rate available from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to Newport.
Martel College senior Jordan Rueter said she thinks the possibility of improved sidewalks and crosswalks could help safety issues with pedestrians.
"The street always seems really crowded," Rueter said. "There's tons of cars parked on the street or trying to find a spot, and people just run across the street. It seems unsafe, especially considering that people are drinking."
Newport said the proposal will go to a Public Safety Committee this week and the full City Council in two to three weeks. He said the proposal could have an impact on both the commercial and residential development of Washington Avenue.
"The main thing that the proposal is trying to solve is to get the incentives in line to reduce the parking congestion and create a mechanism where we get more funding to go into the specific geographic area," Newport said.
Newport said this funding would go to the neighborhood advisory board which combines commercial and residential interests.
"The advisory board is made up of business owners, property owners and residents of the area who are nominated by the mayor," Newport said. "The revenues from the parking meters and permits will be spent for projects to benefit the district and the people driving what those projects are going to be have a vested interest in that area."
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