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Franklin weighs three-hour downtown parking after survey draws 5,200 responses
A city survey found broad support for keeping downtown parking free, while many respondents said two-hour limits cut visits short. Franklin officials are studying possible changes, but no new parking rules have been approved.
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — A survey of about 5,200 people found strong support for free parking downtown and raised concerns that current time limits discourage longer visits, according to findings presented to Franklin’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen this week.
The survey, part of the city’s ongoing downtown parking study, also generated roughly 3,000 written comments. Eighty-six percent of respondents said they preferred free parking, and 71% wanted more free spaces. About one in five called for parking validation or reserved spaces for employees and customers.
Dining, coffee shops, drinks and shopping account for about three-quarters of downtown visits, the city’s summary found. Most respondents said they usually park for one to four hours. But 45% said parking time limits prevent them from staying longer, while another 20% said the limits might do so.
The study identified constraints along Main Street between the downtown Square and Five Points, as well as at the Fourth Avenue garage. Downtown businesses identified employee parking as their top concern, followed by customers’ difficulty finding convenient spaces.
At an Oct. 13 work session, aldermen discussed extending the two-hour on-street limit to three hours and looking for other parking options for downtown workers. Neither change has been approved. City staff said Franklin is not proposing paid parking.
Alderman Greg Caesar said shorter visits could mean lost business as well as less time for people to enjoy downtown. Visitors who leave early, he said, may spend less money and make fewer memories there.
The city plans to collect more information at PumpkinFest, including data on parking and shuttle use during large events, and to examine how other cities handle downtown parking before staff develops recommendations for the board.