JENKS, Okla. — The City of Jenks is giving residents and business owners a chance to experience a different version of Main Street parking through a temporary pilot project.
City leaders launched the 10-day project called “Reimagine Main Street: Block by Block” to test what reduced or no parking might look like along a section of Main Street.
WATCH: Jenks tests temporary parking changes with “Reimagine Main Street” project:
Parking spaces between First and Second Street on Main Street were blocked off as part of the test. The temporary changes will remain in place until March 23.
City officials said the project stems from the Downtown Master Plan process, where community feedback indicated interest in exploring alternative parking options or fewer parking spaces in the downtown area.
Britny Pittman, a business owner in downtown Jenks, said the change could create new opportunities for businesses.
“Using this as more of a function space for businesses and restaurants and of course us, I think it will be nice, a cool change,” Pittman said.
Marcae Hilton, the City of Jenks Director of Planning, said the city wants both residents and business owners to experience the changes firsthand before any long-term decisions are made.
“The businesses and business owners, it’s really exciting,” Hilton said.
During the pilot project, businesses may use the additional space for outdoor dining, sidewalk sales, and other activities.
Some business owners said they are curious to see how the experiment plays out, but remain unsure how it could affect customers and parking availability.
“I’m interested to see how it goes,” said James Pearce, another downtown business owner. “I don’t have very many customers coming in, going wow, I wish there were less parking.”
City leaders said the most important part of the project is community feedback. They are encouraging residents and visitors to share their thoughts about the changes through a short online survey.
Hilton said additional street parking and parking lots are available nearby along First Street.
Click here for the feedback survey.
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