Greenfield Downtown Parking Study set to be presented Monday, June 12
results will be presented to the public on Monday, June 12 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at the John Zon Community
Center on 35 Pleasant St. Mayor Roxann Wedegartner, Greenfield department heads and the engineering
consulting team, Stantec, worked together throughout this study to gain a better understanding of Downtown
Greenfield’s current parking dynamics.
The parking study is a byproduct of several new downtown projects occurring, including the recently completed
Greenfield Skate Park at 71 Chapman St., the Greenfield Public Library at 412 Main St. and the ongoing
construction of the Greenfield Fire Station at 41 Main St.
These projects also intersect with the Main Street Redesign that continues to formulate reconfigurations from
100 feet to the east of Colrain Street through the end of High Street. The curb-to-curb redesign will include
upgrades to pedestrian, bicycle and transit accommodations.
The various projects caused business owners and downtown community members to ask questions about
parking availability. With the final study, the city will envision the impact of these developments and be able to
address any inquiries.
Greenfield utilized a $25,000 grant from the Mass Downtown Initiative to hire Stantec for the parking study.
The city first met with the consulting group in December 2022 before launching the parking study with a public
workshop on January 31, 2023.
Stantec developed draft recommendations that aim to optimize and manage downtown public parking assets.
The consulting team established an inventory by gathering parking information in the winter and spring of
2023. They then extracted parking utilization data in April 2023 to perform analysis on various components of
the overall system. The findings from this process will be showcased in a slideshow presentation at the meeting.
"Concerns and complaints about parking are always prominent in our residents and visitors’ minds,” said Mayor
Wedegartner. “This study helps us understand the extent of parking space availability in our city so that we can
better plan how we'll handle parking once our Main Street redesign is completed and the Library and Fire
Station are up and running. This information is going to help us make better decisions about parking pricing and
hours of availability for paid parking.”
“The Stantec consulting team is looking forward to sharing the results of parking utilization counts as well as
the project’s draft final recommendations with the community,” said Whitney Burdge, a transportation planner
for Stantec. “In support of the project’s goals of improving the overall parking management system and
identifying opportunities for improved efficiency, these recommendations will help the city define new parking
regulations that include new options for downtown employees, and locations with reduced parking fees.”
The meeting is open to the public. For those unable to attend in-person, it will also be recorded for viewing on
Greenfield Community Television.