City launches parking study, seeks public input

The city of Poughkeepsie, in conjunction with the Dutchess County Transportation Council, has announced the start of a federally funded parking study of the city’s extended downtown area.

The planning initiative, happening at no cost to the city, will identify ways to ensure the downtown parking system is being operated and managed in an efficient and effective manner, consistent with the city’s revitalization goals. Specifically, the parking study will quantify and assess downtown parking supply and demand, pinpoint parking issues for everyday activities and special events, and prioritize ways to improve parking facility operations and maintenance. The study will also look at downtown parking policies to include enforcement and pricing strategies.

Because public participation in this effort is essential, the project team will be using a variety of tools (e.g. public events and stakeholder interviews) to gather feedback from residents, visitors and business owners. This outreach is beginning with an online parking survey, where public input about their parking habits is being sought. That includes how and where the public uses city parking facilities – and ways parking might be improved.

The survey will be open until Oct. 16 and is available at surveymonkey.com/r/PoughkeepsieParkingStudy

For more information about the parking study, visit the project website, at cityofpoughkeepsie.com/parkingimprovementplan /, which will provide project updates and links to project materials.