CBD workers were today encouraged to park in the all-day free Gipps Street Carpark as the Tamworth CBD Parking Strategy was launched.
Free coffee and egg and bacon rolls were offered tempt drivers to try out the carpark and give Tamworth Regional Council staff the chance to ask them to have their say about the strategy.
Tamworth CBD Parking Strategy project manager Anna Russell said the upgraded Gipps Street Carpark – which provides all-day free parking - is the perfect example of what the Tamworth CBD Parking Strategy aims to achieve.
"The Gipps Street Carpark has been one of the most underused in the Tamworth CBD but an upgrade earlier this year means it is now providing what CBD users have told us they want more of – free all-day parking in a secure location close to the heart of the city," she said.
Mrs Russell said it is essential for the CBD to have a range of parking options to cater for the different needs of the drivers who visit it.
"Some of them are workers, some are residents making a quick trip to a specific business while others are wanting to shop and browse for a few hours," she said. "We listened to the feedback we received in the CBD Parking Survey last year and used it to put together this strategy."
The strategy proposes a range of actions to be implemented over 10 years to improve the efficiency and availability of parking across the CBD. Key recommendations include the purchase of sites and the construction of new car parks; increasing use of existing long stay carparks by improving security, lighting, amenity and awareness; recognition of the three distinct parking management zones (premium, inner and outer zones) to facilitate responsive, timely adjustments to parking operations; and, investigating the use of alternative technologies for parking payment and enforcement.
The draft strategy will be on public exhibition from today until Monday 3 February, 2020. Printed copies are available at Council's Tamworth office, Ray Walsh House at 437 Peel Street, Tamworth or it can be viewed through the MyTRC Online Community at yourvoice.tamworth.nsw.gov.au
Feedback can be submitted by:
• Using the online portal yourvoice.tamworth.nsw.gov.au
• Posting a letter to: The General Manager, Tamworth Regional Council, PO Box 555, Tamworth NSW 2340, or
