Disabled may get easier-to-use parking City likely to add four handicapped-accessible parking spaces downtown City likely to add handicapped-accessible spaces downtown

On-street handicapped-accessible parking spaces could become a reality soon if the Winston-Salem City Council approves a plan to create four of the spaces at the intersection of North Cherry and West Fourth streets.

People with disabilities can park in most downtown on-street parking spaces for free, but those spaces lack the curb cuts and ramps that are needed in order for many disabled people to use the spaces.

Three of the four designated spaces would have curb cuts and ramps while the fourth is located where an existing crosswalk ramp would provide the access for disabled people .

The city council's public-safety committee unanimously approved the handicapped-accessible spaces at its Monday meeting, and the issue now goes to the full council for a vote. That vote could be a formality, since committee items that get unanimous approval can sail through without discussion unless a council member decides otherwise.

City officials noted that two restaurants on the south side of Fourth Street at the intersection stand to lose some but not all sidewalk dining space.

All the handicapped-accessible spaces would be on Cherry Street: one in front of Local 27101 restaurant, one in front of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, one in front of Washington Perk and Provision Co. and one in front of Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches.

Local 27101 and Tropical Smoothie are the only restaurants at the corner with sidewalk dining that would be affected.

Local 27101 owner Greg Carlyle said he is in favor of the city's plan.

"I think that people with special needs deserve consideration," Carlyle said. "I think that is the least we can do to help those who have mobility issues."

Losing a dining space or two outside is "part of being in the inner city," he said.

The manager of Tropical Smoothie could not be reached Wednesday for comment.

The effort to get downtown handicapped-accessible parking spaces started with Nancy Dennis, who has multiple sclerosis and lives downtown. Last year, she fell on Fourth Street when she tried to step up onto a curb and lost her balance.

Dennis took her concerns to the city council, telling officials here that cities such as Charlotte and Greenville, S.C., have plenty of on-street parking for disabled drivers.

Dennis was on hand at last week's public-safety committee meeting where the creation of the parking spaces was endorsed.

"It has been slow but steady as we have all been on the same page," Dennis told the committee. "These four locations are superb. They've got access for people in wheelchairs, it is in a great location, and it is the beginning ... of a city that is accessible for everybody."

One concern that comes up when people talk about handicapped-accessible parking is the lack of time limits on people who use the spaces. Assistant City Manager Greg Turner said that when the new spaces are designated they will not have time limits any more than other spaces do when they are used by disabled drivers.

"If you have the handicapped placard you can stay indefinitely," Turner said, adding that state law, not any city policy or rule, prohibits a limit on handicapped-accessible parking.

Carlyle said he hopes that people who use the designated spaces "show consideration for other people who are handicapped."

The city could theoretically force the disabled to feed parking meters in metered spaces but chooses not to, Turner said, adding that city leaders decided it was burdensome to the disabled to require them to return and put more money in a parking meter.

As a result, when the disabled use a parking space regulated by the pay stations that the city has positioned on some blocks, they still have to pay, Turner said. That's because when someone parks at a pay-station space they can choose how many hours to buy for parking and don't have to make repeat visits.

Turner said more parking spaces for the disabled could be marked later, but that for now the four spaces are all that are being put before the council for approval.

Council Member John Larson said the way the ordinance designating the spaces is written, other spaces could be easily added.

"It has been a long haul to try to find locations that meet the need," Larson said. "As we look throughout the city, in front of churches or what have you that might want to have special conditions, we can evaluate those individually as they come forward."

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