Parking: How Far are You Willing to Walk in Downtown Ambler?

“We are victims of our own success,” said Steve Ware, of TownShapes on Tuesday night at the Parking Symposium in Ambler. Ware, who studied parking in Ambler in 2008, has seen the increase in visitors and the increased need for parking as Ambler has transformed into a shopping, dining and entertainment destination.

“We [Dettera] have a dire need” for more parking, said Frank Lutter, owner of Dettera.

Ware told the gathered business owners and borough officials that there are currently around 900 spaces available in the downtown commercial district. However, he added that one of the issues is the perception of a parking problem. Visitors cannot see their destination when they are parking in the lots and it can become confusing at how close they truly are.

One other issue he mentioned is good signage for spaces and exceptions. Reserved spaces in the Cavalier and Lindenwold lots are reserved until 6 p.m. on weekdays. After 6 p.m. and on weekends, anyone can park there. Another exception, SEPTA allows the Borough to utilize their parking lot after 6 p.m. for free as well.

Similarly, the Mattison Ave. Elementary School parking lot is restricted during school hours, but is available and free to guests after the school day.

Ware added that the SEPTA lot has approximately 500 spaces that are very under utilized in the evening. He also urged business owners and downtown employees to park there instead of in the main lots, for only $1 all day.

From the parking study, Ware was concerned about the amount of reserved parking in the Cavalier lot. Nearly 40 percent of the lot is dedicated to reserved parking and the lot is central to many of the smaller businesses and is more walkable to restaurants and the theaters.

Borough Manager, Mary Aversa, said there are plans to move between 15 and 19 reserved spaces out of the Cavalier lot this month, freeing them up for visitors to park there.

The group discussed opportunities to gain more parking spaces in Ambler’s downtown commercial district.

The borough has looked at and applied for grants to build a second level on the Lindenwold lot. The project will cost $3 million and currently there is no state for federal funding for the project.

Shared parking opportunities between the daytime businesses with private parking lots and the borough seem plentiful. However, someone from Ambler Main Street or the borough will need to approach the businesses for approval to use their lots. Ware believes shared parking could solve the parking issues Ambler is dealing with currently.

May Bud Wahl recommended a jitney for nights and weekends, which would pick up visitors in parking lots and drop them off where they wanted to go. Everyone agreed it was a good idea, especially for the winter season when people really don’t want to walk far once they park.

“It’s got to be worth a shot,” said Tom Kenney, Borough Councilman.

Ambler Main Street has been charged with working on pricing out the idea. Discussions included a trial run and potentially borrowing a small bus from one of the local churches or senior communities.

To take this town to the next level” we have to take care of our parking problem, said Lutter.