COVINGTON, Ky. — Covington is looking at ways to improve parking in Mainstrasse Village, but it wants to hear from the community before any serious decisions are made.
The Covington Motor Vehicle Parking Authority will host an open house where residents can go to share their opinions on parking issues. The open house will be held Thursday, July 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Center for Great Neighborhoods at 321 W. 12th Street.
The open house will include an informational presentation at the top of every hour, and opportunities for discussion, according to a press release from the city.
"After talking with residents and business leaders as well as conducting parking studies in-house, using ABM staff who are also residents, I think it is clear that parking in the Village could be improved," said Kyle Snyder, executive director of Covington's Motor Vehicle Parking Authority, in a press release. "We don't have a set plan; we will be making a modest change, then reassess. Then consider the next change, working to improve the parking situation."
Currently the parking strategy includes:
- Changes to the John R. Green Garage, including 92 public spaces overseen by Covington's parking authority. Those spaces reduce the garage's rates to $2 per hour and $7 per day to increase usage. The garage has also gotten improved signage, and 20 additional spaces have been offered to residents of the adjoining apartment complex for a monthly fee.
- Fifteen new parking meters will be installed on Main Street between 5th and 6th Streets, and around the corner on 6th Street. The city says this is the first step in a bigger plan to improve turnover in the commercial core of Mainstrasse Village.
- A low-cost parking program is in development for employees of shops and restaurants to help reserve closer parking for customers and residents.
- Residents in Mainstrasse Village can go through a process to create resident-only parking and/or limited public parking on specific blocks. That will come with a permit fee to cover enforcement and signage.
