City to Conduct Parking Study in Downtown

TYLER — The Tyler Development Authority has unanimously approved a proposal from Walker Parking Associates to perform a parking study in downtown Tyler. The parking study is being conducted as a preliminary step in improving downtown parking and will be made up of three components: a parking supply and demand study, a parking alternative analysis, and a preliminary financial analysis. The $34,200 required to complete this study will be paid for from funds collected from the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) Number Two (Downtown) and funds that were donated specifically for this study.

Mayor Barbara Bass says, “It’s all about trying to see how we can best get people into downtown and have adequate parking when they get there.” She adds, “It is exciting to see the first collections from the Downtown TIRZ put to use. This is exactly the type of project we envisioned when we it was conceptualized – a project that will help spur private reinvestment in the zone.”

The Tyler Development Authority was created by the Tyler City Council to provide services to the TIRZ Number Two Board on an as-needed basis. Board members include the Tyler Mayor, City Council, and representatives from other governmental entities participating in the Downtown TIRZ (Commissioner JoAnn Hampton from Smith County and Trustee Mike Coker from Tyler Junior College). Such services include hiring consultants to plan projects, hiring contractors to implement improvements and paying for such services from available TIRZ Number Two funds. Bass notes, “There are some other groups working on initiatives downtown, and we want to make sure everything’s coordinated for the betterment of Tyler.”