Leesburg commissioners reviewed a downtown parking study during this week’s commission meeting.
The study was done by the public works department with the assistance of Blake Drury of the GAI Consultants, an engineering firm, to make recommendations to optimize downtown parking.
Drury presented the firm’s study through a 42 slide powerpoint presentation which covered the 32 block area of downtown Leesburg. The study identified 1048 parking spaces which consisted of 396 off-street restricted parking lots, 356 off-street public lots including a garage, and 296 on street parking spaces. The study looked at all intersections in the downtown area to determine if present on-street parking spaces could cause possible safety concerns. Between 20 to 25 parking spaces were potentially impacted by the study.
Drury recommended that the city adopt a local parking ordinance to give the city engineer the power to designate parking locations in the city. He further recommended that an evaluation of those intersections of concern highlighted in his study to insure pedestrian safety. Drury also told the commissioners that the city should consider relocating the Leesburg Center for the Arts and remove that building which would increase a parking lot.
Drury indicated that laneway plazas which are pedestrian only plazas on Second Street and Fourth Street between Market Street and Main Street would facilitate pedestrian movement to and from parking. This would also alleviate loading and service issues like dumpster access that impact on-street parking according to Drury’s report.
He also recommended that Market Street be redesigned as recommended in the Main Street Master Plan with emphasis on pedestrian safety. Drury said that the city should install common signage on all public parking lots. The current condition has multiple sign types and inconsistent messaging.
The commissioners took no action on the study during the meeting.
