Parking study reveals need for downtown solutions

BERLIN, Md. – A recent survey conducted for the town of Berlin shows that parking can be an issue for the tourist destination.

Some Berlin business owners we spoke with say they’ve had customers leave because of the lack of available spaces downtown.

“They tried to stop by, and could not find a place to park and they had to go back home,” said Steve Frene, a co-owner of Victorian Charm.

Some believe Berlin’s parking shortage calls for a multi-faceted approach.

The results from the Town of Berlin Mobility and Parking Study Phase 1 report suggests the town needs to better manage what they already have while adding spaces and creating agreements with churches and other local businesses.

Business owners we spoke to have their own suggestions.

“I think there are certain side streets that would benefit from being turned into a one way,” Conley said. “If you knocked it down to one lane, go from parallel parking to angled parking, you’d get a few more spaces, a little bit better use of traffic flow around the center of town.”

Longer-term actions, based on future parking needs, will be included in the Phase II report. But for now, many business owners are just happy their parking problem is caused by an influx of consumers.

“A parking problem means people are coming to town, so Berlin is definitely a place to be. It’s just one of those problems we have to figure out a way manage it,” said Frene.

The town of Berlin will enter into its second phase of trying to find solutions for extra parking in the town once it finds the funding resources available.

Town leaders we spoke with today say right now this is a parking management issue, not an expansion issue.

If you want to learn more about what the experts think, you can find the 27-page survey here.