By Mary Hladky
In their continuing effort to alleviate downtown parking shortages, Boca Raton City Council members have agreed to implement a number of measures that would help, but not resolve, the parking problem.
Still on the to-do list are long-term projects, including building a parking garage in the downtown and implementing a smartphone app that would allow people to find and pay for public parking.
City officials have been unable to build a parking garage because downtown property owners are unwilling to sell their land to the city.
Mayor Scott Singer has suggested building one on city-owned land near City Hall and using a shuttle or circulator system to ferry people from there across the FEC railroad tracks to popular destinations such as Mizner Park and Royal Palm Place.
A city consultant found that the downtown will be short as many as 425 spaces by 2023, and up to 750 spaces by 2040.
The city technically has enough downtown parking right now. The problem is that many of the public spaces are not located near where people want to shop and dine, and they don’t want to park and walk several blocks. That creates a parking crunch at popular spots.
Council members, sitting as Community Redevelopment Agency commissioners, agreed Nov. 26 to activate 26 unused meters located south and east of the Hyatt Place hotel.
But for now, they did not endorse adding 245 metered parking spaces on East Palmetto Park Road, the Sanborn Square area and north of Royal Palm Place.
They also agreed to add 54 spaces that have time limits, but no meters, between Dixie and Federal highways south of Palmetto Park Road. The city will buy a license plate recognition system to better enforce time limits.
The city early next year will seek a business to implement an on-demand transit program, using something like electric golf carts to move people from outside parking areas into the downtown.
The Green Market that operates at Royal Palm Place will move because business owners say it causes parking problems. It could be relocated to the City Hall parking lot or to Mizner Park.
Another measure council members want to move forward with is making excess parking spaces in private parking garages or lots available to the public. Property owners willing to offer up their spaces when not in use, such as after business hours, would notify the city manager.
Council members approved making information about where public parking is available in the downtown available on the city’s website and on social media.
Comments