Uptown Village parking worries on the rise with growth

Apartments trend lower, averaging 6.6 trips per day compared with 10 for single family homes, because garbage collection, deliveries and other services need only visit the complex once rather than visiting each individual home. And the city assumes downtown apartments generate less traffic because people are more likely to walk or bike to shopping or work, or use public transportation.

From there, the city is able to analyze spots where traffic might become problematic. But so far, there are no red flags for the city.

“So far with everything that’s been coming in, nothing has come to the surface,” Lapossa said.

Road construction done during The Great Recession from the late 2000s to the early 2010s, when downtown was slated to rapidly grow and never did, is likely to absorb some of the projected congestion.

“We had some very aggressive projects when development was at a very fast pace,” Lopossa said.

As for parking, apartments are required to provide one parking spot per 1,000 square feet, and can count surrounding street parking in that total.

The city has begun to conduct parking enforcement in Uptown Village, checking to make sure cars aren’t parked longer on Main Street than the allowed two hours, city parking manager Steve Kaspan said. Meters or pay stations are also being considered for the area, and crews will begin to analyze whether additional signs and permit spaces are needed for nearby apartments.

“The results have been positive so far, with many business owners saying the turnover of spaces on Main Street is much improved,” Kaspan said.

But in the Arnada neighborhood, there’s still concern over how traffic will look in the surrounding neighborhood once residents start moving in.

Sitting in a booth at Sugar and Salt Bakery in Uptown Village on a recent morning, McShan and Arnada Neighborhood Association President Katie Scaief were able to point to a nearby apartment under construction at 1901 Broadway. When complete, the mixed-use project will house 30 apartments and six live-work units.

Just across the street, work is underway at 2000 Broadway on another mixed-use building, which will house 25 apartments and 5 live-work units.

Though excited for the opportunities more neighbors will afford, Scaief fears what impact there might be on narrower surrounding streets, where traffic from the apartments could spill over and affect longtime residents.

“Do we need to change how stop signs are oriented?” she asked. “Do we need more crosswalks?”

In the nearby Hough neighborhood, The Uptown Apartments are under construction on Main Street between McLoughlin Boulevard and 17th Street. The apartment complex features an underground parking complex and will include retail space on the first floor. When finished this fall, the building will feature 167 parking units.

Ben Joner, co-chair of the Hough Neighborhood Association, said that while neighbors are concerned that visitors and residents will spill over onto surrounding areas, people are aware they live in downtown, and with that comes traffic.

“For the most part, people understand it’s a city,” he said. “It can be frustrating when someone’s in your spot. I think you’re going to see people angered by that.”

For Joner, who is a lifelong Vancouver resident, the benefits of growth in downtown outweigh the negatives of potential crowds.

“Now everyone wants to come downtown because it’s cool,” he said.

“I’m personally excited,” Joner added.