The proposed roll out of paid parking in downtown Temple screeches to a halt following backlash from city residents.<\/p>\n
The City of Temple Slams on the Brakes<\/p>\n
We reported yesterday that the City of Temple was in the process of putting up signage denoting paid parking in downtown Temple. According to KCEN<\/a>, city officials say the signage will be removed to avoid further confusion. The signs resulted in backlash from those who work or visit downtown.<\/p>\n Online Petition<\/p>\n Word of the pay to park effort did not sit well with Green Door manager,Eric Jones. Jones told KCEN <\/a>that people looking to eat out or visit a bar do not need another cost added to a night out. Jones launched an online petition and in less than 24 hours, it had over 1,600 signatures.<\/p>\n City of Temple Statement<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a>, the City of Temple said, \u201cThere is no change to current downtown parking enforcement at this time.” The city apologized saying the signs were put up too soon and promised to talk with community members before moving forward. The city will gather input from, “business owners, employees, residents and visitors\u201d.<\/p>\n The Parking Plan<\/p>\n According to KCEN<\/a>, the City of Temple called the pay to park plan part of a \u201clong-term downtown parking management strategy.\u201d Nohely Mackowiak of the city\u2019s PR department told KCEN that the signage was part of an effort by the city to tackle future parking issues. Mackowiak said some of the annoyances the parking regulations hope to alleviate include those who park downtown in front of businesses and leave their vehicles there for an extended amount of time.<\/p>\n The Parking Plan Took Effect in 2024<\/p>\n