Business Support for Downtown Parking Commission

To the Editor

I am writing in response to overnight towing in Downtown Fargo. Full disclosure: I am on the Downtown Parking Commission, but I am also a downtown business owner and would like to give a business owner’s perspective on this sensitive issue.

While no one ever likes to get towed, reinforcement of downtown parking laws is necessary to reinforce existing laws that support the main purposes of a) providing traffic movement to allow for maximum customer access throughout the business day and b) allow for cleaning and maintenance of Broadway. Again, the signs are posted, the laws are not new, the key factor is now enforcement and is being stepped up. When a car is left overnight on Broadway, it impedes street cleaning and most importantly snow removal. There were many mornings last winter after heavy snows that the handicap parking spot out in front of our business was left with a pile of snow because of a car left overnight in an adjacent space. We have morning customers that rely on that spot for safe access to our building (customers that require the use of canes or walkers to walk).

With that said, we should do a better job of notifying the public when the enforcement sweeps will be coming through. One better, we should do a better job of letting the public know (especially the night-time consumers) that all public surface lots downtown (indicated by a blue sign with a “P” at the entrance of the lot) are FREE to park in after 6:00 pm and overnight parking is allowed.

We LOVE our customers and want to provide the best experience possible for them.  Parking restrictions will not go away, nor will they get more restrictive, they will just get enforced.  They are pretty easy to understand and signs are posted on every block for driver review.  If there are any questions, just ask a shop owner, most of us know the parking restrictions pretty intimately and have coupons for day-time parking in the City lots.

Thank you for letting me share my perspective.

Tracy Walvatne
Josie’s Corner Café & Bake Shop