Draft parking plan for Tamworth
Drivers' feedback steers draft Tamworth parking plan
Feedback from drivers and local residents has steered the creation of a new draft Tamworth Regional Parking Strategy which is now on public exhibition with the aim of getting
more input from the community.
Tamworth Regional Council senior transport engineer, Nicholas Smith, said the Tamworth Regional Parking Strategy will add to the forward looking car parking planning which formed the first strategy in 2020. “Our region is steadily growing and it’s important we evolve how we manage our parking network to align with how drivers are moving around and where they are needing a parking space,” he said. “The draft strategy is guided by a survey we did last year asking drivers and local residents whether the available parking was meeting their needs.
Councillors have also been involved in discussions and guided what the actions the strategy should include. This strategy proposes some major parking changes – with the first 13 of those to be in place before the end of this year,” he said. “It’s all about overcoming the frustrations the community has told us about. Firstly, the biggest change – a win for anyone working in the CBD - is to remove parking meters from all off-street parking areas in the Tamworth CBD. Secondly, with the aim of increasing availability of parking for shorter stays in the CBD we will be changing two-hour parking in the Town Hall Car Park to three hours and three-hour parking in the Tamworth Community Centre Car Park will become all-day parking. Thirdly, to reduce the high number of drivers who overstay in timed parking areas, we are embracing new technology with licence plate recognition cameras mounted on vehicles to monitor timed parking more efficiently. And fourthly, to increase the turnover of parking spots in Peel Street and reduce traffic congestion from drivers going around the CBD, we will introduce paid meter parking on Peel Street between White Street and Bourke Street.”
All community members are encouraged to go our Have Your Say page to read the strategy and understand how the proposed actions will help reduce current parking pain points. After the public exhibition ends, all feedback received will be included in a report to be presented to the incoming Councillors for their consideration in deciding whether to endorse the strategy.