Naperville considering more parking restrictions near downtown
Parking might become more restricted near downtown Naperville.
Transportation officials will wait until after the holidays to study whether parking restrictions should be added on streets north and west of the downtown's retail core, where drivers often look for spots when the area is filled with shoppers and diners.
There, on streets such as Franklin Avenue outside Keith Burton's house, drivers fill both sides of a narrow street making it difficult for residents to get around, he said.
“When drivers have no other option during peak times they're drawn to this section of Franklin where we live because it's closest to downtown, and they jam both sides of the street,” Burton said. “They pack in so densely that we often have problems literally getting in and out of our driveway.”
Burton asked city council members to consider implementing a permanent parking ban on one side of Franklin between Webster and Eagle streets to decrease dangers associated with too many cars on too small a street.
“For us, what was once a very serene and quiet street downtown has changed dramatically with the transformation of downtown Naperville,” Burton said. “Traffic congestion has exploded in the area.”
Despite potential problems with snow and holiday shoppers making the area even more congested, city officials decided they'll wait to address the matter during a January meeting of the transportation advisory board.
Postponing discussions until then will allow residents like Burton and his neighbors to voice opinions about whether parking should be restricted to one side of narrow streets near downtown.
“Whenever we do permanent regulations, we always seek the feedback of residents,” said Bill Novack, Naperville's director of transportation, engineering and development.
The city plans to study parking conditions and potential regulations in an area bounded by Spring Avenue on the north, Washington Street on the east, Benton Avenue on the south and Mill Street on the west, said Jennifer Louden, transportation team leader. On the suggestion of city council member Paul Hinterlong, who lives in the neighborhood west of downtown, the study also will include Van Buren Avenue between Webster and Eagle streets.
Novack said the city will send out surveys to residents in the study area so they can share parking concerns and whether they favor or oppose no parking zones on one side of the street.
Transportation staff members also will evaluate which side of each street should be chosen for a potential no parking zone and if spots need to be restricted close to street corners to ensure better visibility. The topic is scheduled to be considered at the transportation advisory board's Jan. 10 meeting.