Inner-City Parking Should Focus on Safety First

    HALTOM CITY, TX, July 30, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The nonprofit group Strong Towns is dedicated to helping ordinary citizens advocate for change to create neighborhoods that are safe, livable, inviting, and financially strong. One of the articles in their e-book Stuck in Park: How Mandatory Parking Minimums Hurt American Cities calls attention to the issue of parking at urban schools.

In the article, author Charles Marohn talks about his local school district's plan to add parking, primarily for the convenience of school staff. Early plans seemed to indicate that playgrounds would be paved over and that multiple blocks of residential dwellings might be taken through eminent domain. When faced with criticism, the people promoting the off-street parking adamantly claimed that their motivation "is safety. Specifically, safety for the children."

When it comes to safety, says Marohn, applying suburban design standards to an urban neighborhood to separate uses and increase traffic flow "is an absolute disaster," primarily because of the number of walkers coming and going in all directions. On top of that, additional parking would only be useful for about 75 minutes per day. "For the remainder of the time, and through all evenings and weekends and the three months of summer, this over-engineered design approach leaves a doughnut of desolation around each school…"

Unused parking lots have actually become quite common in urban areas due to changes in the way we shop, eat and work. Fortunately, says Strong Towns, a growing number of cities have recognized "the harm parking mandates and subsidies create for families, business owners, and small-scale developers." Over the past several years, the organization has worked to help dozens and dozens of communities reduce or eliminate parking mandates. They also launched a Parking Reform Map that now identifies over 1,400 US cities that have made some type of change.

In Haltom City, parking mandates are definitely an obstacle when it comes to redevelopment of older properties. When potential investors learn that they'll need to add unnecessary parking spaces just to comply with old regulations in Haltom City, they often choose property elsewhere.

But there is a relatively easy solution, said Joe Palmer, Communications Director for the Haltom United Business Alliance (HUBA). "The city should create overlay districts and eliminate parking minimums along the main corridors in the south and central areas of Haltom City. That one change could help encourage developers and small business owners who are considering investing in an older property. Added Palmer, "Overlay districts that eliminate parking mandates is just one of many ideas that should be considered by the City Council to help turn things around in our declining neighborhoods. The time to act is now."

About Haltom City
Haltom City is a diverse, majority working-class city located between Dallas and Fort Worth in Tarrant County, TX. Haltom City is minutes from both the DFW Airport and Downtown Fort Worth with direct access to major highways including I-820 and SH-121. Due to an outdated and restrictive use matrix that discourages new business and deters growth, several areas of Haltom City have seen a decline in small businesses which provided goods and services and were a significant source of jobs, including the once-thriving automotive industry. However, Haltom City can reverse this trend and should prioritize development of inner-city land and vacant buildings, particularly in the major corridors close to the city's center. The city is financially healthy with a capable manager and staff who would like to see diverse business development occur and need the support of the City Council to make it happen.

About Haltom United Business Alliance
Haltom United Business Alliance (HUBA) wants to give members of Haltom City's business community an advocate and to keep those businesses informed about issues that affect them. They want to make sure Haltom City is business friendly and nurtures small business growth, including automotive businesses in the industrial districts, and bring more restaurants including breweries and eventually a major grocery store to the city. New businesses and growth in existing businesses will create a stronger tax base which will allow the city to pay its first responders wages that are competitive with surrounding cities while improving Haltom City's facilities and infrastructure. HUBA believes that the southern and central parts of the city need a revitalization plan, to prevent further degradation in those areas, and wants that to happen before the inner-city experiences increased crime and more blight. As retail and office uses are in decline, it's more critical than ever to attract new businesses. They believe that such a plan requires a strong relationship and support of the business community. Anyone who owns a business in Haltom City is eligible to join HUBA. Dues are $20 annually or $50 for a lifetime membership, and membership is 100% confidential. To join, contact Joe Palmer at (682) 310-0591 or by email at [email protected]. Visit the group's Facebook at Haltom United Business Alliance.

About Make Haltom City Thrive Again
Make Haltom City Thrive Again is a movement to return prosperity to the older parts of South and Central Haltom City by luring the small businesses that have left over the past decades back to Haltom City. A vibrant business community not only allows for greater employment and choice of goods and services, but also can ease the tax burden on residents. The movement is led by local entrepreneur and business owner Ron Sturgeon. For more on Sturgeon's ideas and background, check out his book, Keeping the Lights on Downtown in America's Small Cities and watch the videos on his Facebook page. Ron is also the founder of the Haltom United Business Alliance (HUBA) which represents existing business interests in Haltom City and promotes growth of diverse businesses. HUBA is not a political action committee and does not endorse candidates. If/when Ron endorses candidates, he will do so on his own via the Make Haltom City Thrive Again organization.

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