Following City Council’s approval of a City-wide parking initiative in November 2013, the BurlingtonDowntown Parking Advisory Committee was formed and had its first meeting on Wednesday, January 29. The group's charge is formalized in a City Council Resolution on the Downtown Parking Initiative, attached here. The Committee will be responsible for overseeing the development of a new Parking Management Plan for the City.
The Downtown Parking Advisory Committee is empowered to continue the great work launched with Burlington Business Association (BBA) and City of Burlington’s Parking Summit, held this past November 13, 2013. The Parking Summit, run in partnership with the BBA, the Department of Public Works, and the Community and Economic Development Office, brought together the business and development community to discuss how better parking management can be an economic driver for our downtown. The Committee will take the lessons from that Summit and apply them over the next year through a planning effort, launch of several pilot projects, and continued community outreach.
Chuck DesLauriers, Hotel Owner and Developer, Jen Mincar, owner of Office Squared, Michele Boomhower, Assistant/MPO Director at Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, and Burlington City Councilor Max Tracy will serve on the Committee, alongside Jim Barr of University of Vermont Transportation and Parking Services, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer John Killacky of the Flynn Center, former Public Works Transportation Planner Dan Bradley, local landscape architect Kathy Ryan, Public Works Commissioner Asa Hopkins, Downtown Property Owner Jeff Nick, and Burlington Town Center General Manager Matt Chabot.
The Committee will be responsible for the following tasks:
· Providing input on short-term pilot projects and reviewing results;
· Finalizing the consultant selection for the creation of a Parking Management Plan;
· Providing guidance on key issues during Parking Plan development;
· Acting as liaisons in outreach and communication efforts; and
· Sending the Parking Plan forward to City Council when ready for adoption.
Mayor Miro Weinberger, who selected four Committee members pursuant to the City Council Resolution, expressed his confidence in the group.
“I am confident that the individuals selected for this Committee have the combination of skills and experience necessary to successfully implement a new and effective Parking Plan for Burlington,” said Mayor Weinberger. “Improving the parking system downtown will help drive our economy forward. Improved customer experience, utilization of technology, and financially sustainable infrastructure are all drivers of a parking system that complements our fantastic downtown. I look forward to seeing project developments come to life over the course of the year.”
Beginning this month the BBA will be distributing bi-monthly parking updates to its members. If you would like to receive these updates, or have questions related to parking, please contact the BBA office at 802-863-1175 or email Jeff McLaughlin at [email protected].
