Anyone who has visited downtown Sacramento recently has probably noticed an influx of new businesses, restaurants and bars (it's great, right?). While visiting those new places, you've probably asked yourself this: "OK, now where do I park?"
As the Capital City expands, there seems to be a growing parking problem, and now one business owner is asking the City to address it.
"I think if we cooperate we can make things better, and I'd like to have the city cooperate right along with that," William Taylor, the owner of Willie's Burgers, said.
Willie's is located on 16th street and sits across from a newly opened Chipotle and Noah's Bagels. Soon a Sourdough & Co will join the group of businesses in an area where few parking spots are available.
The three new businesses means three times the number of customers and employees occupying the same space.
"They have 17 parking places," Taylor said, referring to the three new chains, "And we've got one business with seven parking spaces. None of (the businesses) have enough parking places by themselves."
Street parking in the area has also undergone changes - and is now two-hour parking. While Taylor said that is better for customers, it has made it hard for employees to find a spot to park for their shifts.
To accommodate the increased flow of people, Taylor has hung up a sign outside of Willie's. The sign says that people should feel free to temporarily park in any of the nearby lots, citing CVC 22953, a complicated state vehicle code that says people can park in any free public lot for one hour without getting towed.
Taylor said it's a public servant announcement, but it's also a be a bit of a nudge to the adjacent Chase bank to share its spots. The bank has a large, open parking lot — and since the Chipotle came in, signs and a security guard making sure non-Chase customers don't park there.
"I took a letter over to the Chase manager and said, 'Hey look, it's in our interest, and everyone's interest to share," Taylor said.
Marycon Young, a spokesperson for the City, said, "as progress in the Central City moves forward, the City will continue to work with businesses and the public to address the parking demand."
Young also explained that the changes to parking restrictions, such as two-hour time limits, were a result of petitions and formal requests submitted to the City, including one from the Greater Broadway District. The idea is that the short-term parking would help alleviate parking problems allowing for more flow of customers.
When asked about how employees are having trouble parking, Young pointed to parking lots under the freeway that charge $2 for all day parking.
While Taylor acknowledges that lot, he believes more needs to be done to address the parking problem — by the City and through business-to-business cooperation.
"I think in the long run if we work together," he said, "It's good for the neighbors, customers and business owners."
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