Broad Street Parking Meeting Reveals Communication Issues

Parking spots, bicycle lanes, and the need for better communication fueled a public conversation between Augusta’s Traffic Engineering Division and concerned downtown business owners and community members on Wednesday, May 21.

County Administrator Tameka Allen opened the meeting, organized in the wake of protests over the Broad Street road/streetscape project, begun earlier this year and currently slated to last more than three years. She asked how many present had been present at initial stakeholder meetings – held in 2018. Few hands went up.

Next, she asked how many felt like they had not been properly informed about details regarding the project. A lot of hands.

 She followed with a question that, seemingly, addressed the crux of the called meeting. How many, she asked, agreed with the plans as they had been explained.

No hands.

“That’s not good,” she said. “And we want to make sure you are heard.”

With that John Ussery, Assistant Director – Traffic Engineering for Richmond County presented the history of the project, the approval process, and the initial design details. These details included the construction of a bike path and the reduction of available parking from 760 to 430. He quickly noted that a redesign had yielded and additional 160 spots, bringing the total to 590 – still less than the current level.

He said there were still options available, including making Ellis Street one-way and adding additional side-street parking and taking traffic of Reynolds from four to two lanes and using those lanes for parking. He said traffic numbers demonstrate that slowdowns would be minimal.

He also said that Augusta, unlike other municipalities of similar size with thriving downtowns, has done little to manage parking downtown. For instance, he said, metered parking and enforcement of maximum parking periods would increase the flow of cars in and out of slots, making them more readily available.

He did admit that communication between those managing the project and local stakeholders, such as downtown business owners, had been difficult.

“That is on us,” he said. “We are learning as we go. We did set up a website and we did send out press releases, but the reason the information is not getting out is unknown to me.”

During a question and answer session following Ussery’s presentation, David Hutchison, owner of The Book Tavern, located on the 900 block of Broad Street, addressed some of the communication issues. He had been at the initial stakeholder meetings in 2018 and remembered what they were told then and how it differed from current plans.

“We were assured we would not lose parking,” he said. “There was also no mention of bike lanes.”

Bike lanes, which make additional parking prohibitive, proved unusually contentious. Ussery explained that state Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) funding, which is being used to fund the Borad Street project, requires accessibility for all mode of transportation – automobile, pedestrian, and bicycle. Because Broad Street does not have purpose-built bicycle infrastructure, it was added to the design. Many business owners said they believe that those lanes will see little use and are being added to the detriment of parking and, in turn, downtown business.

Penelope Ballas-Stewart, the fourth generation of Luigi’s on the 500 block of Broad Street said that all curbside parking at her family’s restaurant was being eliminated to make way for a bike lane. She said losing that parking would make attracting customers difficult for both existing and prospective business owners on lower Broad Street. She said the area has seen significant revitalization in recent months, but fears that it might stall out. She said she knows of at least one prospective business that is having second thoughts about a lower Broad project – because of parking.

“We are seeing real energy down there right now,” she said. “And what we want is to see that continue.”

The project itself has already begun, with Broad Street between 13^th and 15^th Street already dug up and closed. Groundwater issues have slowed progress on that section, which may have bought those concerned about current plans a little time. How much, Ussery said, is difficult to say. He said that it is difficult and potentially expensive to make sweeping changes this late in the process. He said the goal now is to revitalize Broad Street with little disruption to business – although he admitted street closures would be inevitable.

“In a project of this size, there will be some inconvenience,” he said.

David Watt, Executive Director of the Miller Theater, said inconvenience is a matter of perspective.

“For a lot of us, inconvenience could lead to us closing our doors,” he said.

Ballas-Stewart said that at this point, compromise feels like the best bet. Although she would love to see increased parking on Broad, where finding a spot can be difficult – particularly during high traffic periods such as performance nights – she understands that may not happen.

“A realistic victory, at this point, would just be maintaining curbside parking,” she said. “Right now, we are losing all our street parking and that just will not work.”

Allen said more meetings with stakeholders would be scheduled soon, pending decisions regarding new designs and management strategies. It was a plan that, for many, felt ambiguous and, ironically, broad.