THE notorious parking shortage on Fitzmaurice Street has some businesses suggesting a complete overhaul of timed parking.
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It comes after residents floated an idea to remove the street's bike lane to make room for angled parking. However, Uneke Lounge owner Kate Powell said this is not the answer and could destroy the historical street.
The idea was also ruled out by Wagga council due to the physical requirements for angled parking in the area not complying with Austroads parking standards.
Mrs Powell suggested the unlimited Kincaid Street parking be revisited instead, after being changed from two hours for a 12 month trial and never changed back.
"People will leave their cars there for days on end ... it's ridiculous and needs to be timed otherwise you could park there for the whole year if you wanted," she said. "Even on Fitzmaurice Street, some of the two hour parks could change to an hour."
Mrs Powell said they must first look at moving people along because her elderly customers cannot walk blocks from the river like the council often suggests.
"Perhaps businesses should also encourage their staff to park at the river and walk to work rather than our customers," she said.
The council's projects and strategy director Darren Raeck said they have planned a broader Central Business District master plan that will deal with parking and improved access to businesses.
However, he said the issue of parking is a complex matter that needs to take numerous factors into consideration.
"The changing dynamics of Fitzmaurice Street in recent times also needs to be taken into consideration, making sure any proposed changes are suitable for the long term," he said.
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Mr Raeck said it is not expected for any physical works to be completed until strategic documents are finalised and a funding source identified.
Cafe Sonder owner Tanya Hardwick reiterated that parking complaints were common, especially as Fitzmaurice Street continues to become a popular spot.
She feared parking challenges might deter customers from visiting the street because the convenience is not there.
"The last few years, Fitzmaurice Street has picked up and the parking issue is going to continue to get worse if nothing is done about it," she said.
Mrs Hardwick said there needs to be consistency with timed parking because customers often do not realise one side of the street is one-hour parking while the other is two-hours.
"They have lunch with someone who tell them they're on the one hour side and they run out across the road and have to leave their lunch earlier so they don't get a fine," she said.