Fayetteville Backs Up On Block Avenue Parking

Reverse, Angled Parking Could Be Eliminated In The Weeks Ahead

STAFF PHOTO DAVID GOTTSCHALK Cars are parked backed-in and at an angle Tuesday on Block Avenue in Fayetteville. The City Council's Transportation Committee considered two options for eliminating the back-in parking on Block Avenue that exists between Dickson and and Spring streets.

STAFF PHOTO DAVID GOTTSCHALK Cars are parked backed-in and at an angle Tuesday on Block Avenue in Fayetteville. The City Council's Transportation Committee considered two options for eliminating the back-in parking on Block Avenue that exists between Dickson and and Spring streets.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

— The City Council in the coming weeks will decide what to do about Block Avenue's back-in parking.

Several business owners came to the council's Transportation Committee meeting Tuesday to tell aldermen what a pain in the rear the parking situation on Block can be.

AT A GLANCE

Transportation Committee

Fayetteville City Council’s Transportation Committee meets monthly to talk about street, trail and sidewalk projects. Committee members are:

• Adella Gray: Ward 1

• Matthew Petty: Ward 2

• Justin Tennant: Ward 3

• Rhonda Adams: Ward 4

Source: Staff Report

"We hear about it every single day," said Camille Garland, a stylist at Shag Hair Salon, 224 N. Block Ave. "We've lost clients who say it's difficult to park."

Nancy Bittle, who has led the charge to redo the 28 parking spaces between Dickson and Spring streets, recalled having to circle the block three times before she was able to back in. Each time she tried to park, a car would pull up behind her. Finally, when she had a clear path to maneuver, Bittle said she had trouble navigating into a space.

"I end up, finally, after a couple stabs at it, opening the driver's side door, still buckled, hanging out, watching the stripe so that I can get into the parking between the lines," Bittle said. "This is how I now park on Block Street when I go down there. It's my new method."

Garland said most customers don't have as much patience as Bittle.

"You do that two or three times, and you're done," she said. "You're like, 'Forget it. It's just not worth it.'"

The city installed the back-in parking spaces in 2010 as part of a broader Block Avenue enhancement project. The street was narrowed to one lane. Sidewalks were widened. Trees were planted. And angled parking went in. All of the improvement were to slow traffic, make the street more inviting to pedestrians and increase parking.

Going from parallel to angled parking added spaces, but Matt Casey, the city's engineering design manager, wasn't able to say Tuesday exactly how many.

Casey said the back-in parking idea was mostly about safety. Drivers who back into a parking space are less likely to blindly pull out into traffic when they leave, he said.

Bittle argued sight lines are limited with any angled parking. At least with front-in parking, your car's reverse lights give oncoming drivers an indication that you're backing up, she said.

Tom Overbey, who opened an office building at 221 N. Block Ave. in 2012, said Tuesday other business owners' concerns are overblown.

"My observation is that well over 90 percent of the people have no problems pulling in, stopping, backing up and parking," Overbey said.

He added businesses need as much parking as possible on Block Avenue -- not just for what's there now, but for future development as well.

"There are huge usages of those parking spots at various times -- not every day, clearly," Overbey said. "But when there are events downtown it all fills up."

City engineers gave the Transportation Committee two options for changing back-in parking Tuesday.

Option No. 1 involves reconfiguring concrete islands on the west side of the street and painting stripes in the opposite direction, so drivers can pull in front first. The work would cost about $42,000 and take two to three weeks to complete. It would remove three of the 28 parking spaces.

With Option No. 2, the concrete islands would be left intact. The pavement would simply be restriped. According to Transportation Division estimates, the second option would cost about $28,000 and could be done in a matter of days. It would remove eight of the 28 parking spaces, however.

Alderman Justin Tennant asked business owners Tuesday if they would be OK with fewer parking spaces. Alderwoman Rhonda Adams mentioned the push-back committee members received when they talked about removing parking spaces on Center Street to make room for wider sidewalks.

Garland said she wasn't concerned about losing a few spaces in front of Shag Hair Salon. She said half the time, the spaces closest to Dickson Street are empty.

Committee members, after hearing from the public, voted to forward the issue to the City Council. No date had been set Tuesday for the council to consider options.

Tennant said he's one council member who's all for eliminating the back-in parking.

"I think it's time that we admit our mistake," he said. "I don't think anybody did anything wrong at the beginning. I remember hearing about it at first, and I thought, 'Well that might be kind of a neat idea.'

"But I think if it was such a great idea, we would have done it somewhere else in the city."

Tennant added, "The question is not whether we should change it, in my mind. The question is, 'Is it worth $40,000 to do it.'"

NW News on 03/26/2014