In an effort to revitalize the downtown area and deal with Providence's growing parking shortage, Mayor David Cicilline '83 initiated a seven-month contract between parking consultant Andrew Miller and the Providence Off-Street Parking Corporation on July 1. More than halfway through his contract, Miller said he and his colleagues have begun to make some headway in finding solutions to the city's parking crisis.
According to Daniel Baudoin, executive director of the Providence Foundation, he and the organization recommended the hire of Miller to the city government, under the belief that solving the city's parking problem is "critical for the continued health and development of downtown."
Baudoin added that Miller's hiring will finally make someone accountable for designing a comprehensive parking plan.
According to Miller, he is employing a three-tiered approach to solve the parking problem, in which he will reform on- and off-street parking accommodations while also developing a functioning parking model for the city.
To fix the dilapidated on-street parking situation, Miller is replacing old, malfunctioning meters with more modern technology while also expanding the meter program through the downtown Weybosset Hill area with 450 new meters. The goal for Miller is to promote high turnover of cars in order to accommodate more drivers.
Miller is also assisting the city in developing off-street parking alternatives by facilitating public and private partnerships under his leadership, he said.
The LaSalle Square project, a mixed-use residential, retail and parking area located downtown near the Dunkin' Donuts Center, will offer additional parking capacity in 2007, Miller said.
Other projects, like the Grant's Block development and the expansion of the Garrahy Courthouse, promise to create more parking downtown by merging the public and private interests involved.
Miller estimated that the cost of constructing parking downtown could run as high as $25,000 per space.
Ultimately, Miller hopes to "use the Off-Street Parking Corporation to bring down the cost of financing these projects that combine public and private participation."
According to Miller, "parking has to be understood as infrastructure - without parking capacity, you are not going to get development."
The development is also viewed as a form of consumer protection for locals who are increasingly at the mercy of parking businesses and tickets.
"Right now, (parking) is private sector-driven, very profit-driven. When profit is not the goal, you can offer the consumer more choices. We will require developments to charge reasonable rates - convenient, inexpensive parking," Miller said.
Miller hopes to complete some of the off-street parking ventures such as the La Salle Square project by fall 2007 and said he is trying to overcome "many years of a lack of attention to the on- and off-street parking situation in Providence."
Yet Miller and Baudoin are also looking to improve some alternative modes of transportation. According to Baudoin, expansion of the commuter rail system to Warwick and continued support of the bus system is essential.
If public opinion is any indication of the city's needs, parking solutions are long overdue.
According to Erik Ingraham of Fain's Carpets on North Main Street, "parking sucks in Providence." Among the problems Ingraham cites, expensive parking lots, overzealous traffic cops and poor public transportation detract from his ability to attract customers and even potential workers.
"It's tough to get temporary workers when you have to pay $11 a day, five days a week for parking. And if you don't, you are waiting an hour for a bus that goes all around Providence."
Pat Brown of the RISD Bookstore on Westminster and Memorial streets added that, along with more available parking, the city should try to find alternatives to combat the shortage. "In our case we need more short-term parking. Most of our customers walk to the store or put their hazards on and park illegally. Additional public transportation could be a help," he said.
Phillip Seibel of Symposium Books on Union and Westminster streets noticed that local parking lots are taking advantage of the increased demand for parking.
"My dad, who works at Trinity Repertory, says the garages are just gouging because of the parking shortage. One time I had the car parked for 10 minutes and it cost $6 just to get out," he said.
Seibel also added that because the Providence Place Mall is the most convenient and reliable parking in Providence, his business is suffering, as customers would much rather shop at the Borders Books & Music branch in the mall than deal with the hassle of navigating through downtown.
Joe Warrener of Bliss Parking on Weybosset and Orange streets said he cannot accommodate every prospective customer. "It's totally hectic trying to satisfy people's needs, to get them in and out to maximize profits. That's what it's all about - maximizing profits, turnover."
On average, Warrener said he has to turn down between 15 and 21 customers a week. "I fill up fast and I have to leave room for my monthlies. I have obligations to let them in first," he said. Warrener charges $15 a day for a parking space.
Ed MacDonald of Engine 7 in the Providence Fire Department cites the parking shortage as a major public safety concern. "Illegal parking is a problem everywhere. (On) Friday and Saturday nights, many of the streets have become impassible for our trucks."
MacDonald said enforcing parking laws is key, but he also believes that local residents should adjust to the shortage.
"If you go to other cities like Boston, they enforce parking laws and you expect to have to walk. People in Providence seem to think that they are entitled to park within 50 feet of where they want to go, when there is legal parking farther away or in a lot where you can pay," he said.
Marc Gelinas, studio proprietor of Design Within Reach on Westminster Street, shares many of the same sentiments. "Most of the time, to be quite honest, it's complaints about not being able to park right next to the store, which for anyone who has lived in Boston or New York is absurd," he said.
