In a big move, City of Salisbury offers free 2-hour parking Downtown

SALISBURY, Md. – It’s almost like Christmas came early for business owners in Downtown Salisbury. But instead of wrapped presents underneath the Christmas tree, they woke up to some exciting news from the city– free 2-hour parking.

For business owners, it’s the simple things that matter most. With three other tattoo shops in the downtown area alone, owner of Crybaby Tattoo, Peach, said accessibility in front of her shop is what draws in foot traffic, boosting clientele.

“I have other competition, so it’s easy for somebody to say, ‘Well I don’t want to park down there because it’s hard to park, so I’m going to go to one of the other businesses down there,” Peach said.

And Peach is no stranger to roadway inconveniences. Her shop has only been on the Plaza for a year and in that time, she’s seen road closures, construction work and parking spot battles. The business owner hopes with this new move, she’ll be able to establish a permanent spot in the downtown district.

“My business is on the further end of Downtown, where there’s a bridge being built there. [There’s] a contract for that for, I believe, 2 years, which is about as long as my business is going to be here,” Peach said. ‘You can’t turn left onto Main Street to get here, so I’m hoping that maybe getting here from the other end of town, and getting parking, will help me out maybe stay longer.”

While the city has experienced its fair share of parking issues, economic development manager, Derek Jarmen, said the city is turning a new leaf with businesses and customers, and this model is here to stay.

“I’m hopeful that this is something that stays around for a while, that it’s not something that’s here as a fad, is here for a few months and decides to switch or change up. Our hope is that this is something that’s long lasting,” Jarmen said.