Main Street merchants are continuing to discuss how their employees can get around late at night and what public transit options are available then.
Michael Barille, director of the Historic Park City Alliance, said they’re working with the city’s Transportation Manager, Alfred Knotts on the topic, which has stirred a lot of comment on social media.
He said the options still include the Homestake Lot late-night shuttle.
“I think they’re running the employee lot until 3:00 right now." Barille continued,"So, cities tried to respond to those concerns by making it a close employee lot available and running shuttles to it. I think the concern from some portions of the workforce is that they maybe already live within transit boundaries and they would like to be able to take transit for the entire trip rather than go and park their car at a lot. It’s unclear how much the demand is for that. So, Alfred was great to say yeah send people my way and if we have enough interest then we’ll look at making adjustments. So, I think that’s where the social media post is coming from let’s try to assess that and if there’s enough demand for it on a particular route then it looks like Transit is ready to respond within cost considerations and making sure it’ll have enough ridership.”
We asked him how much use the Homestake lot is getting.
“During the season last year, it was fairly well utilized." Barille explained, "I think we saw anywhere between 80 and 150 cars there on an average busy weekend and maybe a little less during the week. I think more having that option available so that the behavioral change that the city is trying to enact with paid parking that there are some solutions to that for people. Whether that’s driving their own personal vehicle and having that opportunity or doing some carpooling and using the closer in lots that have some carpooling opportunities here on Main Street. Just trying to provide a variety of solutions for people with differing characteristics in their workday. Maybe some people are working two shifts, maybe some people have to run home and grab a kid after school. So we’re trying to make sure there are options for all those situations.”
Since the Homestake lot is planned for affordable housing in the future, they will have to figure out another location for employee parking.
“If there’s going to be affordable housing and other development there then presumably there needs to be a parking solution and hopefully, we can have a piece of that as well." Barille said, "Maybe it’s a parking garage eventually there or a transit hub that has some parking associated with it. We’re working with the city to look at alternate sites as well to make sure that we have a solution when that one goes away.”
