Mayor: Parking consultant likely to be hired in coming weeks
By Katie Farrell
The Daily News of Newburyport, MA (Massachusetts)
December 15, 2008
NEWBURYPORT — [Newburyport, Massachusetts] Mayor John Moak said he believes the city will hire a consultant within the next month to study the parking situation downtown.
The consultant is being funded by a federal grant, administered by the Merrimack Valley Transit Authority, and the position could last for a year, Moak said.
The consultant will review all of the parking studies that have been done in recent years — about 6 to 8, Moak said. That person will study all the scenarios that have been raised, such as changing traffic patterns, building a parking facility and implementing paid parking. The consultant will then come up with a plan.
A task force of city officials will work with the consultant and be available to answer questions, Moak said. City Councilor Tom Jones and Chamber of Commerce director Ann Ormond will also serve on the task force.
Moak said the goal is to make sure all entities are "on the same page" when it comes to parking, including the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority and the Waterfront Trust.
The Redevelopment Authority is in the process of finalizing its own plan for developing a waterfront park. Preliminary designs have shown a decrease in the current parking spaces, under proposed plans.
"I think paid parking will definitely be a part of our landscape," Moak said. Paid parking will allow the city to self-regulate how parking is used and generate income to care for the areas around the parking lots, such as landscaping and crosswalks, he said.
If done properly, paid parking will not be a deterrent, the mayor said, noting that the city can explore all options, such as hourly rates and discounts for senior citizens.
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