COBI seeks citizen input regarding downtown parking

The city of Bainbridge Island wants your opinion on parking conditions in downtown.

City officials are undergoing a study to look at the on- and off-street parking system in the downtown area. As part of this study, the city is asking residents, downtown employees, downtown business owners and visitors to complete a short survey about their experience parking downtown.

The survey can be found online at www.bit.ly/DowntownParkingSurvey. Responses must be submitted by end of day Saturday, Sept. 30.

Downtown Bainbridge has unique parking conditions due to to the fact that it is an island, city officials said, plus its proximity to Seattle, its seasonal tourism and the presence of a well-trafficked commuter ferry terminal adjacent to downtown.

The downtown parking study will include data collection and analysis, findings, public outreach, stakeholder engagement, task force meetings and recommended strategies.

The study will reportedly help the city gain a better understanding of how efficiently the parking system is being used, where there is capacity in the system, and what solutions can be implemented to improve the parking experience and support the city’s goals for downtown.

The study will consider how the parking system interacts with street circulation and other modes of travel, such as by bus, ferry, bicycle or foot.