LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB/WAVE) — As more paid parking pops up in downtown New Albany, many business owners are worried the lots are making it harder for customers to get through the door.
There are at least seven privately-owned pay-to-park lots operating in the downtown area, with three of them located on Bank Street alone.
Mike Sajaja, who owns Petra Mediterranean Restaurant, said a large city-owned parking lot sits behind his building but is rarely available to customers.
"City Hall and City Council uses that," he said. "And, of course, construction guys and employees from everywhere, you know, park here and leave, so, parking is a big problem in this area."
Staff at the Dog Haus — which is located between three pay-to-park lots on Bank Street — said the restaurant has seen fewer customers since the new pay-to-park signs went up.
Dog Haus' owner, John Riddle, said that while he recognizes the lots are privately owned and "respects the the owners' right to generate income," he believes more affordable parking will only help downtown businesses.
"As the City of New Albany continues its efforts to revitalize downtown and attract new businesses and visitors, exploring opportunities to expand access to free or affordable public parking could provide meaningful support for those goals," Riddle said in a statement.
Dan Hardesty, owner of the menswear store Eureka!, said he can see how parking difficulties could actually be a sign of more people coming downtown. Even still, he believes free or affordable parking should be the standard.
Hardesty said they city can work to find more creative solutions to expand parking options, like utilizing nearby parking garages.
"As a business owner, anything that is going to prohibit or inhibit some of our customers from having the easiest path to reach us, it’s important to us, right?" Hardesty said. "I mean... our goal is to make shopping easier for not just our customers, but for others down here."
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