Bridgeport studies angle parking on Main Street

BRIDGEPORT – Angle parking on that portion of State Route 173 that is Main Street between 10th and 13th streets downtown is under consideration by members of the city council.

Bridgeport Public Works Superintendent Stuart Dezellem addressed council regarding what he has learned so far in his investigation into the proposed change.

“We have 20 feet between the curb and the fog line on the north side of the road but we only have 18-1/2 feet between the curb and the fog line on the south side of the road,” Dezellem.said.

The double yellow centerline in that portion of Main Street is not perfectly in the center of the curb-to-curb width, Dezellem noted.

“Eighteen and a half feet is a little narrow for the standard 60-degree angle parking spot,” said Dezellem. “We would probably need to go 45 degrees on the south side and 60 degrees on the north side.”

Dezellem added that he submitted a request to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) regarding guidance as to what the city needs to do if the council wants to pursue angle parking.

“It can be done by ordinance and/or by resolution at the city level,” Dezellem said of the proposed parking change.

Dezellem said he believed that since Highway 173 is a state highway, the proposal needs the approval of the state’s Secretary of Transportation and a sign-off by WSDOT verifying there is ample room for angle parking.

Dezellem said he contacted the city’s local representative for WSDOT who has “pushed the ball to the appropriate office but they have not returned an email yet.”

Dezellem said that so long as he has council consensus to move forward he will continue to pursue the study.

“Since we are kind of short on the south side, what about parking only on one side?” asked Mayor Janet Conklin.

Dezellem said that was considered as an option for the wider north side of the street 

Speaking of downtown traffic speed, Dezellem told the council that many vehicles, particularly trucks, are not slowing to 25 miles per hour on Bridgeport’s Main Street.

“They’re rolling off that hill and they’re just shooting down through here, especially in the daytime,” Dezellem said.

Dezellem said cars parked at an angle on Main Street would help reduce traffic speeds and used the angle parking adopted by Brewster as an example of its speed-reducing effect.

Council members agreed that proposed angle parking on Main Street is a proposal worth pursuing.