Hot Springs survey: Majority have bad parking experience

HOT SPRINGS — Six out of 10 people’s experience with parking in downtown Hot Springs has been negative, according to responses to an online survey.

The city said 940 people who either patronize, work or live downtown responded to the Hot Springs Parking and Mobility Survey that Walker Consultants conducted.

The city stressed that Walker wasn’t contracted to study downtown parking, a subject other consultants have examined at length, when the Hot Springs Board of Directors approved the $ 85,000 contract in August. The company was hired to develop an action plan for a comprehensive parking management system, the city said.

More than 60% of respondents said their typical downtown parking experience was either somewhat negative or negative. More than 20% fell into the latter category, compared with 5.53% who said their experience was “very positive.”

“The majority of the parking is essentially free and unmetered,” Deputy City Manager Lance Spicer said. “When people don’t like something, and it’s free, they’re obviously not real happy with the level of service they’re getting. Sixty-one percent speaks pretty loudly.”

Spicer said the survey showed support for a paid parking system, one that’s more managed and better resourced than the current system of time-limited spaces and coin-operated meters.

A plurality, or 45%, said they’d pay for an annual resident parking permit. Forty-one percent opposed it. Almost 60% supported a similar idea for employee parking, with 58.75% favoring a reasonable monthly fee for employees to park in designated areas.

Sixteen percent of respondents said the city should reduce its reliance on writing tickets and instead charge a premium for on-street parking. On-street spaces are free. Most have a two-hour time limit.