The town has announced some upcoming parking changes aimed at reducing traffic congestion in downtown New Canaan.
NEW CANAAN, CT — The town has announced some upcoming parking changes aimed at reducing traffic congestion in downtown New Canaan.
According to the town website, in an effort to reduce traffic congestion in the downtown business district and have more parking spots available more often, the town is introducing changes to the parking system on Elm Street, South Avenue, Park Street, and the Park Street Lot.
These changes are expected to take effect in mid-to-late August, according to the town.
The following parking changes were announced by the town of New Canaan:
Elm Street
Parking on Elm Street between Main Street and Park Street is changing from free to paid.
Spots will be available in 30-minute increments. The 2-hour limit remains the same.
Expected Benefit
Reduced traffic congestion on Elm Street is expected since fewer drivers will circle in search of a parking spot. And, parking spots are expected to be open and available more often since more visitors to downtown will opt for the free parking spots off Elm Street.
South Avenue
Parking on South Avenue between Cherry Street and Elm Street will change from free to paid.
Spots will be available in 30-minute increments. 2-hour limit remains the same.
Why
This section of downtown South Avenue is directly linked to the traffic congestion on Elm Street.
Park Street Lot
Parking spaces in the Park Street Lot are changing from paid to free. The lot is right behind The Playhouse and other Elm Street buildings and has two walkways with direct access to Elm Street. Along with the change to free parking, the lot is being redesigned to improve the vehicle circulation, and the parking spaces will be widened.
Three-hour limit remains the same.
The walkway between The Playhouse movie theater and Le Pain Quotidien will now include an accessible ramp for wheelchairs, strollers and deliveries. Additionally, there will be a new loading zone at the top of that walkway for truck deliveries, which will reduce truck traffic and double-parked trucks on Elm Street.
Benefit
These parking lot spaces that are changing from paid to free will outnumber the parking spaces on Elm Street and South Avenue that arechanging from free to paid.
Park Street
Seven spaces on Park Street – 3 in front of Park Street stores and 4 just north of Elm Street near the entrance of the Park Street Lot – will remain free parking and have the time limit shortened to 15 minutes.
Why
This provides for quick, in-and-out shopping with no parking fee.
How Will the Parking Work?
For ease and convenience, parkers on Elm and South may pay at any of the soon-to-be-installed pay stations simply by entering the vehicle registration plate number and using either a parking app, bank card, or coins. This is known as Pay-By-Plate.
Parking in the free Park Street lot does not involve any meter machines. It is simply park-and-go.
What Is Not Changing
Parking spaces on Main Street between Cherry Street and Locust Avenue remain free of charge with a 2-hour limit.
There are over 200 parking spaces that remain free of charge just one block from Elm and Main – on Burtis Avenue, Cherry Street, Forest Street, Locust Avenue, and Morse Court.
Residents can sign up to receive email or text notices throughout the year about New Canaan Parking matters, including permits, lot closures, street parking, changes in parking regulations and parking fees, at newcanaanalerts.gov.
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