Local
NuLu Businesses Push Back on Paid Parking, Citing Drop in Local Customers
Merchants in Louisville's NuLu district say new hourly parking meters are confusing visitors and driving away local shoppers, and they want free parking restored or at least a grace period for customers.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. â Business owners in NuLu say a paid on-street parking system introduced earlier this year is costing them customers, with some local shoppers staying away rather than pay to park before spending money in the neighborhood's shops and restaurants.
The Parking Authority of River City, known as PARC, rolled out hourly paid parking in designated parts of NuLu, pitching the change as a way to make parking easier to manage. But Katie Meinhart, president of the NuLu Business Association, said the reality on the ground has been different.
While an agreement was reached to provide parking passes for employees, Meinhart said customers are being deterred by the added cost. "They're not coming because they're paying multiple dollars to then come in and pay money to shop in our stores," she said.
Meinhart also pointed to a signage problem, saying clearer information is needed so drivers understand where they can park and how the various configurations and meters work.
For some drivers, the friction is enough to keep them from supporting local businesses at all. Mark Gaff said paying to park makes it harder to shop small. "I would really like to be able to support small businesses," Gaff said. "And it seems like Louisville doesn't make it easy."
The impact is being felt inside stores as well. Tabitha Bishop, who works at Le Lieu on South Shelby Street, said she received a parking ticket while stopping for coffee and believes the changes have cut into local foot traffic. "It's definitely cut down on our local traffic a lot," Bishop said. "I feel like tourists are still paying it, but local people are not shopping as much."
The parking shift followed the completion of NuLu's streetscape project in February, which reshaped the look and layout of the district. Now some businesses are asking the city to reverse course, or at least soften the policy.
"We don't want this paid parking," Meinhart said. "We want our free parking."
At stake is the character of one of Louisville's most visible independent business corridors, where small retailers and restaurants depend on repeat local customers. Merchants argue that a few dollars at the meter can be the difference between a neighborhood resident choosing NuLu or going elsewhere, and they want the city to weigh that cost against the revenue the meters generate.