Sixth Avenue Parking

Old story.  Maybe some new debate.  Several weeks ago, The News Tribune’s Dan Voelpel wrote an article about parking in the Sixth Avenue Business District.  The basic issue is that the success of restaurants, bars, and small businesses in the Sixth Avenue Business District is causing some serious parking concerns.  Add the fact that residents are moving to restrict parking and we create quite the stalemate.  Business versus residents.  What’s the solution?  I saw this article and didn’t quit know what I could add to the debate. Then the story got older and I started to forget about it. Then I received an email about it and I started thinking about it again.

My first impressions. Requiring pay parking as the article suggests won’t fix the problem. Adding roundabouts so people can drive up and down the street won’t fix the problem. My thought – a shuttle bus, or regular bus service for that matter, going up and down sixth from Union to Sprague. It could go to Proctor.  It would be free for passengers. My idea would be to have it subsidized by the business district for Thursday through Saturday use to start. Subsidize it further with paid parking along the street. Use the Bartell/Wells Fargo parking at Sixth and Union. Use the A&W / KFC lot at the other end. It won’t completely alleviate the problem, but it could relieve some pressure and the initial costs would be relatively low.  Of course we have our trolley supporters in Tacoma, but again, a high startup cost and it’d take years to see it working. The email I received suggested we might want to build a parking garage where Schucks is located.  Personally, knock down Taco Bell first, watch the burrito wrappers in your front yard disappear, and we could see some significant change in the neighborhood.  Now that would make an easy parking lot.  On the other hand, my opinionated reader puts it so well by saying, “  …and really, who is so full of themselves that they won’t walk 3 or 4 blocks to their favorite restaurants—in Seattle, for example, you would be thrilled to find free downtown within 8 or 10 blocks.”