Fishtown and surrounding neighborhood residents came together for better or for worse Tuesday, May 24th at the Fishtown Rec Center to discuss an issue plaguing the minds of many: parking. It’s no secret that parking in a big city can be difficult, yet the issue runs deeper when residents’ mentality is that Fishtown is a less dense community rather than a congested city. There is no denying that Center City and Fishtown vary remarkably when it comes to population density and parking availability. However, as Fishtown continues to flourish as a destination for night-lifers and restaurant-goers, parking has become a hotly debated subject.
Angie Williamson, Economic Development Director for the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) started the meeting by sharing the results of a parking evaluation sponsored by JzTI, a transportation planning company based in Philadelphia. The evaluation focused heavily on the high volume intersection of Frankford and Girard Avenues and recommended several options to remedy the parking situation. The study suggested reducing curb cuts, having businesses advertise how far they are located from an El stop, or partnering with Sustainable 19125, a local organization promoting greener methods of transportation including taking public, walking or biking.
“As a developer for the NKCDC, we are mainly concerned that businesses are not impeded by parking regulations,” said Angie Williamson. “We need to make sure we aggressively problem solve.”
The evaluation results and recommended courses of action caused sentiments to flow freely from residents about parking woes. Some voiced concerned that the evaluation may be outdated since it was conducted in 2009, others lamented that living in the area for 33 years and not being able to park in front of their houses was downright ludicrous.
Three members from the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) were in attendance to field inquiries from concerned residents and business owners alike. They also educated attendees about the possibility of instilling permitted parking around the area of Frankford and Girard Avenues.
While permit parking is by no means required, some residents may find it to be the solution to their parking problems. In order to have permit parking on your street, you must petition the neighbors on your residential block for 51 percent support. Neighbors would deem what hours parking is allowed to non-permit parked cars. Permits will cost $35 per vehicle the first year, and $20 every subsequent year. Every vehicle with a permit must prove residency at their address and must not have more than two outstanding tickets. Also, if you live on a block that is 70 percent commercial business, you are automatically denied residential permits.
The general consensus among residents was to forgo instilling permitted parking unless absolutely necessary. Through emotional outbursts and rational arguments alike, Fishtowners seemed only to care about one thing: coming together as a community to face the problem head-
“Parking is a big problem and we just need to work together to solve it,” said Roland Kassis, Northern Liberties resident and area developer.
As the meeting drew to a close, residents walked away a bit more knowledgeable about the problems facing them in the future and possible ways to solve them. There will likely be more meetings to discuss this issue. Stay tuned to The Spirit for announcement of future meetings.
