Spartanburg City Council recently heard an overview of a report on parking in downtown Spartanburg.
Created by renowned parking consultant Todd Litman, the report takes a look at the current supply and utilization of downtown parking, engaging stakeholders throughout the process including downtown business owners, parking garage lessees, developers, and City officials. The report was paid for by the City and the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce (click here to download the full report).
The report makes 15 short-term and seven long-term recommendations, and while it found that downtown has ample parking supply, the report makes mention of several ways in which that supply could be better managed. The list of recommendations includes:
- Better collection of parking data – public and private
- Develop better wayfinding
- Regulate and price spots by priority (short term vs long term)
- Develop special events policies
- Plan & manage parking for cost recovery
- Establish downtown parking/transportation management organization
Also at the recent meeting, Council heard a briefing on a how the City plans to address challenges in recruiting and retaining police officers. According to City Manager, Chris Story Spartanburg is far from alone in dealing with the issue, citing nationwide trends including the increasing complexity of police work and the current low unemployment rate as factors. However, the City ranks near the bottom in entry-level pay for police officers in our region, and Story says that Staff is looking into strategies to increase that pay scale to better compare with other jurisdictions.
For more on the recent City Council meeting, see the full video below.
Spartanburg City Council meeting, February 10, 2020 from City of Spartanburg on Vimeo.
Prepared by the City of Spartanburg.