Smyrna times., 1930-09-24
COUNCIL ASKED TO RESTORE
COMMERCE STREET PARKING
PARKING NOW ALLOWED ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET

Merchants and Farmers Objected
to Angle Parking on One Side
and Council Rescinds; Action
Smyrna Town Council has re-
stored parking on both sides Of
Commerce street close to the curb.
the full length of the street. They
We're obliged to give in to public
opinion after a try-out Of angle
parking on one side of the street
only, which had been made a rule
for several weeks. There had been
more or less opposition to it from
the start but it took the initiative
Of Gardner Ford, Commerce
street merchant (who had some of
his customers complain), to bring
the matter to some decision when
he sent to Town Council a petition
signed by some twenty or twenty
five merchants and farmers ask
ing for parking on both sides of
the street as it used to be. Mr..
Ford declares he could have got
ten many signatures to the petit
tion protesting one-side angle
parking, had he had the time to
devote to it. People trading in
Smyrna he found, were pretty
general opposed to it and seemed
glad of the opportunity to protest.
Town Council, when the petition
was presented to them at a recent
meeting, could do nothing else but
give it favorable consideration.
Last Wednesday afternoon they
had their street man, Walter H.
Mattiford, obliterate the white
marks but only in the square from
Main to Market street, allowing
the angle lines to remain in the
square from Market to Delaware
and lower Commerce street from
Main to East.
Confusion on Saturday Night
Then came the confusion of Sat
urday night that brought Council
to the realization they could not
continue the parking part on one
side and part on both, so Monday
they had street supervisor Matti-
ford tar over all the remaining
white lines on Commerce street,
leaving the street free for parking
close to the curb on both sides of
said street, its full length. While
members of Town Council were
hopeful that their angle parking
rules would be a progressive move
the result after a test proved just
the opposite. Farmers trading
here and town folks too, objected
to angle parking because the
street was too narrow and be
cause it was impracticable and
Customers coming to
town to trade saw in it disad-
vantage in that they could not
parkin front of the stores,
where for years they had been
accustomed to trade. They rails
ed objections and Commerce
street merchants saw they were
losing trade by it. The petition
when it went in was signed by
all the Commerce
street merchants. While it was
realized that Council was desirous
Of doing what they thought was
best, they did not want to see
trade driven away from Smyrna.
Rather do all of them want to
bring trade here and to make it
as pleasant and comfortable for
visitors as possible, so when they
saw that public opinion was grow
ing against angle parking they
rescinded the rules and restored
parking on both sides of the
street as it was.
Parking Center for Relief
Commerce street besides being
In important business street, is a
main thoroughfare to the Boule-
yard from Clayton, Kenton and
he three concrete Maryland roads
Therefor to keep the channel"
,pen for through traffic motorists
should park their cars close to the
,urb and leave the crown of the
street open for cars to come and
70 in opposite direction with ease .
md facility. It has been suggest \
"a that it would be nice thing
( Council would provide park
ng lot somewhere in or near the 4
center Of the business district 4
where people coming to Smyrna
o trade could park their cars. a
number of growing communities
Ire adopting this method. Coun-
ii might well look into the feas-
bility Of such plan.