Main Street Has Parking Restrictions(posted May 1) Main Street now has a three-hour parking limit that is applicable to only IMS racing events. In a 4-0 vote, the Speedway Town Council adopted the ordinance in a special session on April 30th by hearing first and second readings within the same meeting. Councilman Dean Farmer was not present. The ordinance is an attempt to help Main Street businesses survive by keeping parking accessible to patron traffic during qualifications and race day. Businesses owners often become irritated with race fans abusing the public parking by occupying parking slots for the entire day. Parking restrictions will begin 12 a.m. Friday until 11:59 p.m. Saturday prior to race day events and qualifications weekends. Parking will also be prohibited on Main Street between 10th and 16th Street on race day. Violators' cars will be subjected to towing by Zore's Body Shop Wrecker. Police Chief Jeff Dine agreed to re-route the bus staging to Tenth Street, so Main Street becomes primarily pedestrian traffic. Businesses were complaining of the diesel fumes. It was specially alienating to customers trying to dine outdoors at Dawson's On Main Street. Taxi-cabs and limos will be routed to Main Street and Gilman Street and sent to a parking lot. Speedway Redevelopment Commission President Scott Harris said each car will be charged a $1 for every time it enters the lot. Cab drivers often make as many as four trips delivering people to and from downtown or to the airport. Tire chalking will be the method of enforcement. Chief Dine told the council not to expect cars be towed after three hours and one minute because it depends upon the availability of manpower to enforce the ordinance. Dine explained that he will have to continue to work on the allocating manpower from different sources as he expects to use a Ball State Criminal Justice Intern to help. Town Councilman Gary Raikes said he talked with most of the businesses owners on Main Street, and the majority of them favored parking restrictions. Connie Norton of Main Attraction Antique Mall was pleased to see the bus staging area moved. "This will make the air a lot nicer," she said. |
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