Bloomsburg Parking Committee Organized

In February, the majority of Bloomsburg Town Council members voted not to advance an ordinance that would have expanded parking enforcement times in the downtown. That decision followed calls from the Chamber and dozens of business and property owners for a more comprehensive approach to managing parking. A sub-committee was formed by the Town’s Community and Economic Development Committee and is now meeting regularly to discuss the issues and make recommendations to Town Council.

The committee is comprised of representatives of Council, Police Department, Columbia County, the Chamber, DBI, Bloomsburg University, downtown merchants, the Bloomsburg Landlord’s Association, and residents. In the first two meetings, the committee agreed on areas of focus, and assessed the existing parking inventory in the commercial district. The committee is next scheduled to review data from parking studies conducted in 2009 and 2015. The members recognize that parking in the downtown is confusing and can be frustrating in certain areas, and are interested in proposing long-term solutions.