"30-Minute Parking" and "2-Hour Parking" to be enforced starting in January in Downtown Jackson

12/07/22

JACKSON, TENN (WNBJ)-

"30 Minute" and "Two Hour" parking haven't been enforced in downtown since 2018, but that's all going to change come the start of the new year. Starting January first you’ll get a ticket from the Jackson Police Department if you go over the parking time limits for on-street parking in downtown Jackson.

The change came from meetings between the city and businesses downtown, "The biggest thing that came up in those meetings was parking and it being a big issue for small businesses. And it's nice that they finally have done something about it," said Morgan Walker Co-Owner of Grounded Plant Company.

What was the big parking issue for those downtown businesses?

"I don't think people realized like parking in front of businesses especially all day, has a big impact on local businesses because it takes away parking for their customers," said Walker.

“And we can pick out the cars that are residential that stay here all day and all night. Sometimes they don't move for like a week," Walker continued.

And the owners of Grounded Plant Company point out those long-term parkers kept customers away, “People will just, oh, it's not convenient. Not going, you know, it's like a big box store. Everybody wants the front parking, not the back, and they'll just drive circles til they find it. And here we're not a big box store and it's not an essential item, so they’ll just [leave]," Walker said.

“Especially during the winter time," added Co-Owner Hope Cunningham.

Now with enforced parking limits, downtown businesses hope they’ll see more customers.

“As far as customers, a lot of them, I feel like the kind of two-hour window is probably usually what they're here, where they're here to walk in and walk out with a cup of coffee or whether they're here to meet with someone or where they're here to study," said Anthony Kirk the owner of Turntable Coffee Counter.

Cunningham said, “And hopefully, people will be able to stop in more often just because they'll be able to pull up.”

There are other places downtown where people can park their cars for long periods of time:

• Southwest corner of North Highland and West Lafayette

• West Main St. between Riverside Dr. And West Alley

• Northeast corner of North Highland and East College

• Southeast corner of North Church St. And East College St.

• East Baltimore between Liberty St. And Church St.

Kirk said, "I think the biggest thing is information. I know that downtown development, and the city are working together to create signage and wayfinding and it just really communicate where these lots are and even, you know, how long does it take to walk from that lot to a certain area of downtown, things like that."

Landlords and residents living in downtown can apply for permits from the Police Department that will allow them to park on the street without having to follow the limit.