Parking on Washington’s historic square should be a little easier in the near future after the Washington City Council approved changes to downtown parking regulations for the first time in more than 20 years.
The council voted unanimously July 21 to make a series of changes eliminating parking restrictions in some areas and establishing new short-term spaces near downtown small businesses. The council deliberated in May after the opening of the new Tangle Roots restaurant, which has increased the need for parking in the area.
Many of the changes were proposed by business owners themselves during collaborative meetings with the city, Planning and Development Director Jon Oliphant previously told the Journal Star. He noted in a July 7 city memo that staff has seen a reduction in parking-related questions and comments over the past month, “which seems indicative of greater comfort with the parking allocation.”
What changes were made to parking on Washington Square?
The last time the council approved on and off-street parking restrictions was 2002. Oliphant said the opening of Tangled Roots and the length of time since the limits were set made the council interested in revisiting whether businesses and patrons would benefit from changes.
The city drafted the new restrictions with suggestions from the Washington specialty shops. The changes are:
The city will also designate new short-term spaces:
When will the changes go into effect?
Several small business owners on the square previously said they had noted minor issues with parking, but also said Tangled Roots had largely been helpful in driving more foot traffic to their stores.
Oliphant said placing new signage will cost the city very little. An exact timeline depends on when the signs are ordered and the work can be done, but Public Works Director Brian Rittenhouse tentatively estimated it could be complete by the end of summer.
“It doesn’t seem like signs take that long, so I could probably see them being up within the next couple of months,” Rittenhouse said.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: New parking rules are coming to Washington Square. Here’s what has changed
Reporting by Christina Avery, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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