Parking Situation Hurts Business, West Chester Merchants Say

A recent study commissioned by the borough of West Chester indicated that while most residents and visitors are happy with the parking situation downtown, business owners have concerns. 

According to The Reporter, a total of 493 residents, non-residents, business owners, and employees responded to the survey, which was carried out by West Chester University professor Jeff Osgood.

The findings, shared with the borough’s parking committee on March 11, shed light on popular opinion on a variety of parking issues. Among them:

• 21 percent of residents said they use permit parking while 15 percent use free street parking.
• 58 percent of residents said they would be opposed to permit zone enforcement on the weekends.
• 46 percent of West Chester business owners said they believe the parking situation negatively effects business.
• Over half of all those surveyed said they interacted with a parking enforcement officer, and 50 percent of those said the experience could have been better.

Read the full story here.