Town officials seek input about what changes should be made to parking in the Watertown Square and Coolidge Square areas. Residents, workers and others can share their thoughts in an online survey, or attend two upcoming open houses about the two areas.
The Town of Watertown sent out the following announcement:
Watertown has begun a Parking Management Plan for Watertown Square and Coolidge Square. The goal is to support Watertown’s retail centers and make them more user friendly and welcoming.
The Plan will describe current parking needs, supply, and usage. Recommendations will focus on supporting new and existing businesses and customers, including new meter equipment and technology, and more consistent regulations. The study will look at both on-and off-street parking facilities in Watertown Square and Coolidge Square.
The Town is seeking your input by two methods—public meetings and a survey. There will be two open house style public meetings in January where consultants will present available data on parking supply and occupancy, and get feedback from residents and businesses. Open house attendees will have the opportunity to share their parking concerns, voice their opinions on how to improve parking management, and give observations on initial parking supply and utilization data.
The initial public outreach meeting for Coolidge Square is scheduled for Wednesday, January 23, from 5:00–8:00 p.m., at the Watertown Public Library (Watertown Savings Bank Room). The Watertown Square public meeting is scheduled for Thursday January 24, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the same location. These are drop-in, open house style meetings. Come to either one at any time between 5 and 8 p.m.
We will have materials for both squares available at each meeting. The project team is seeking input from the public based on their parking experience and concerns. Community input will help to guide recommendations for parking improvements in Town.
You can also share your thoughts by taking this 5-10 minute parking survey:
http://www.watertownparkingsurvey.com/
The process will continue in the spring when draft recommendations will be presented at a public meeting for discussion. A final plan will be presented to the Town Council in late spring or early summer.
More information is available at the Town of Watertown website, www.watertown-ma.gov/950/parking
If you have any questions, please contact Laura Wiener by email at lwiener@watertown-ma.gov or by phone at 617-972-6417 ext. 12183. Make sure to participate in the Watertown Square and Coolidge Square parking surveys at https://www.watertownparkingsurvey.com to give your feedback on parking issues and concerns.