The Bellingham Public Works Department is implementing
parking management strategies and cost mechanisms to improve the parking in
Fairhaven. The Fairhaven Parking Task Force is preparing for a growing
population that will cause higher parking demand and tackles concerns of the
people in the Bellingham community.
The gravel parking lot located on Mill and 11th
Avenue is hard for people to find because there is a lack of signs for parking
information, said Kate Parker, a waitress at Colophon Café.
On Oct. 15, 2013 the task force discussed placing signs
overhead on Harris Avenue, Finnegan Way and Old Fairhaven Parkway to make
parking more visible and direct people to parking on Mill and 11th
Avenue.
The Bellingham community should not be complaining about
parking, said Rachael Ludwick, barista at Tony’s Coffee House. There is plenty
of parking available at the gravel lot that is close enough for people to walk
to where they want to go and parking in Fairhaven is free.
Today parking meters do not need to be in Fairhaven because
parking is working adequately as of today. Our goal today is to spend the least
amount of money with the most effective strategy and meters are expensive, said
Eric Johnston, Public Works assistant director. It might become an option in
the future due to economic expansion.
“I can never find parking in Fairhaven,” said WWU student
Elizabeth Dragseth. “I like to come to Fairhaven because of the farmers market
but it is always hard to find parking.”
Event parking needs to be included in the parking plan due
to the amount of people that come to Fairhaven when events occur, said Paul
James, secretary of Fairhaven Neighbors Association and member of parking task
force.
One goal of the task force is to improve the parking they
already have. Parking on Larrabee Avenue and 13th Street need to be
fixed due to being dangerous and muddy, said James.
Strategies suggested at the task force meeting was to add
motorcycle and bike parking, apply loading zones and short-term 15 minute
parking for turnover.
In order to prepare for future parking demand it is
important to figure out what needs to be measured and how, said Johnston. We
need to figure out what time of the day we should measure parking, identify our
concerns and set a level of service standard.
At the task force meeting it was suggested that every two
years the measurement would take effect and would count how many cars occupy
parking at specific times.
A study conducted in 2011 by Transpo Group, a business that
assist cities in transportation plans, provided the task force with findings of
what to implement in their plan; members at the task force meeting said they
were concerned the study was inaccurate.
The task force meets on the third Tuesday of each month in
the Fairhaven Library Fireplace Room at 6 p.m.
Meetings are open to the public.
