No Back-In Parking for Broadway Streetscape Project

The Newport City Council voted to receive a recommendation from City Manager Jane Howington to keep parking in the Broadway Streetscape Project front-in angle parking during Wednesday night's meeting.

City staff conducted a feasibility investigation on implementing back-in angle parking. A report, provided by the Louis Berger Group, recommended that parking should remain as initially designed for several reasons.

According to the report, there have only been an average of 2.5 angle  parking accidents on Broadway. The report also cited public resistance to back-in parking, especially from the elderly, could be problematic.

Instances from Brunswick, ME and Plattsburg, NY, were also cited in the report, where communities adopted and later reversed back-in angle parking after negative publicity.

Confusion between traditional parking near Washington Square was also a concern.

A redesign of the Broadway Streetscape Project to incorporate back-in parking was estimated at about $49,500 in additional coss.  Modifications required in the redesign included changes to the roadway design, landscaping design, street lighting  and utility design, stormwater design and traffic design.

Regarding scheduling implications, the redesign would have required four weeks  to implement the changes.

Bari George, of Bike Newport, told the city council despite the concerns, she hoped the city would consider back-in parking should a new opportunity arise.

The benefits of back-in parking have been substantial enough around the country to have gained acceptance and the city should be prepared to consider the method, she said.