Friday, July 29, 2016

Rockville garage entrance closure throws another monkey wrench into Town Center parking problem

The temporary closure of the Monroe Street garage entrance of 255 Rockville Pike has sent Rockville officials and business advocates scrambling to reduce the impact on businesses at Regal Row. Assistant City Manager Jenny Kimball says Colonial Parking informed the City that the entrance should reopen on August 10.

To assist Regal Row businesses, Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI) has printed up posters that Regal Row merchants can post in their windows about parking alternatives. The organization is also assisting Colonial Parking in creating a sign to be posted at the Monroe Street entrance during the closure.

City staff will present the first results of their efforts to respond to the parking crisis Town Center merchants described to the Mayor and Council on June 13. Chief among them are data on available spaces near Regal Row, improved signage, and designation of 15-minute "pick-up" spaces along E. Montgomery Avenue and Maryland Avenue, for patrons picking up carry-out orders from restaurants at Regal Row and Rockville Town Square.

Staff determined that the remaining surface parking in front of the Regal Cinemas is the first to fill at peak times. In working with the operator of the garage in the new Cambria Suites/Upton building, staff has identified many available spaces there. Between 2:00 and 11:00 PM on Friday and Saturday, July 15-16, the Cambria garage had between 55 and 96 spaces open at any given moment.

As a result, staff is recommending adding signage to alert drivers to the new Cambria garage entrances. They propose adding 4 new signs to the 3 that are already in place in the vicinity of the building.

They also recommend designating two currently-metered spaces along Regal Row as free parking for 15 minutes, as well as adding two such spaces to Gibbs Street, and converting the 5-minute book drop-off spaces by the Rockville Memorial Library on Maryland Avenue to 15-minute free parking spaces. Success of the spaces would be measured by consulting with merchants in three months, to determine if the free spots are helping the situation or not.

All of the proposals will cost money, and the suggestions will be discussed at the Mayor and Council meeting this Monday, August 1, at City Hall. Please note that this meeting will begin earlier than usual at 6:30 PM, due to the size of the meeting agenda.

5 comments:

  1. The thing that seems to escape the sight of everyone connected with the parking issue is, YOU MUST PAY FOR THE PARKING , and pay dearly at the Cambria just to patronize businesses in the area. This is patently wrong. I will go and continue to go outside of Rockville for my leisure activities.

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    1. I know right, paying for things is just the worst.

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  2. When I have the choice, I always pick the inconvenient, higher cost parking alternative. Why go to the same place to eat with free parking? I'd just use the saved cash on another drink or dessert. And who wants that?

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  3. How can the new Panera Bread in Rockville (next to the Cambria Hotel) hope to stay in business, when it's so hard to find parking... all paid parking (within a reasonable walk). And just wait until you get a $40 parking ticket by going over by one minute... those Traffic Enforcement officers are fast on their Segways. It may take a few extra drive minutes to get to the Falls Grove or Federal Plaza Panera, but once you get there, you save time and money, because you're not hunting for nonexistent (paid) parking. This is true of many Town Center businesses. The Mayor and Council, Planning Commission and Rockville developers better figure out a solution to the parking crisis soon or many more Town Center businesses will fail. The citizens of Rockville already paid $61M for 975 Town Center parking spaces (in 3 garages). Nearly 300 of those spaces have already been given away, leaving around 600 spaces (that works out to $100,000 per space over 30 years). Bottom line: When Rockville attempts to ameliorate the park crisis, don't go looking for another "corporate welfare" handout from Rockville taxpayers. Good luck.

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    1. I think you mean "Parking Enforcement." And yes, I have received a $40 parking ticket for go over the meter by 3 minutes. I'm never coming back.

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