B.A.D. Parking Woes & Pros…Parade Challenges

No-parking signs along Eighth Street could make parking for Beads, Mardi Gras a drag.

If you’ve driven west on Eighth Street recently, heading toward the Bishop Arts District, you may have noticed some new lawn decorations — no-parking signs. The signs begin at 303 W. Eighth, cross N. Bishop Ave.,  and end at 415 W. Eighth. While we didn’t spy any signs on Melba, we’ve heard there are now “resident-parking only” signs in front of homes on Neely Street.

In a online report, CBSDFW.com reported that Sara Vivona, who lives near the B.A.D., said she’s had difficulty finding parking at her own home. “I’m trying to get into my house and the whole street is full,” Vivona said in the report.

Parking, it seems, is becoming an ever-increasing problem in the Bishop Arts District. Also in the CBSDFW report Jose Fuentes, who owns Gloria’s at Bishop and Davis said he fears that customers will take their business elsewhere if they can’t park near the restaurant. And David Spence, who owns several properties in the area is worried that all streets surrounding the Bishop Arts District will be deemed resident-only parking.

“If it’s used like a blunt instrument and it’s implemented without any dialog with the commercial interests here, it’s not going to work well,” Spence said in the report.

It seems there will be dialog after all. Amy Cowan, one of predominant planners of the Mardi Gras parade, said business owners plan to discuss these parking tribulations at their next monthly meeting — March 21, 9 a.m. at Hunky’s.

OK…now let’s talk about the good news for Dash for the Beads and the Mardi Gras parade parking. Cowan said they’re trying to limit parking to one side of the street (nearby side streets, that is), so that large SUVs, ambulances, or other emergency vehicles can more easily maneuver around cars.

Secondly, Methodist Dallas Medical Center has offered up one of their parking garages (southwest corner of Colorado and Bishop) free of charge for parade-goers. Rick Garza is offering his lot at Vernon and Davis, and both Odfellows and the new Ten Bells Tavern are donating their lots for the occasion. So…parking shouldn’t be has horrendous as imagined. Cowan also said they’re working on getting a shuttle bus up and running to take passengers from Methodist to the parade site.

In any event, Cowan said that last year 15,000 people came out for the parade, and she expects more this year. Even if you carpool, that’s a LOT of cars to park. So we recommend getting there early if you’re not in the mood for a brisk walk.

By Alana Harrison Feb. 17, 2012 | 1:08 pm | 8 Comments | Comments RSS
8 comments to "B.A.D. Parking Woes & Pros...Parade Challenges"
  1. AG @ February 17, 2012 at 2:06 pm
    I avoid BAD for exactly this reason and I used to hang out there several nights a week! No more. When Gloria’s relocated there, I stopped going. The area has been and continues to be developed without sufficient parking to meet the need.

    Residential streets should be exactly that and not parking lots for landlords’ interests. “Implemented without any dialog”. I find that particularly funny. I’m pretty sure no one has had much dialog with the folks who live on those streets…before now, that is.

  2. Frank Turrentine @ February 17, 2012 at 2:37 pm
    It’s only going to get worse as things “improve” in the tourist destination that used to be a neighborhood. I like and admire many of the business owners here, and I’m glad they’re doing well from this, but it’s not nearly as nice to live here as it was, and it didn’t have to be that way. It could be worse, however. At least most of the businesses are run by nice folks who actually live here, and I don’t feel like a criminal just because I’m a borderline crusty.

  3. FabFranTX @ February 17, 2012 at 4:06 pm
    I have made comment on this forum and others regarding this problem since it began.

    Mr. Webmaster you can help me with this, but I THINK Ms. Cowan made a comment on this blog on another story and basically said we need to be patient and deal with it. Having people park in front of our houses is no problem…please Mr. Webmaster look that up for me. It has irked me for some time – that comment – I just want to be safe and feel safe inside my home and having a random car parked in front of my house or driveway doesn’t really make me feel that way.

    Another point to Jose Fuentes – it is HIS employees who took this problem to the next level. Because he does not provide parking for his employees and only a valet lot they are then relegated to parking on the street. They were usually the ones parked right alongside Bishop next to Gloria’s and down Neely. Since construction began they no longer park in front of my house (I leave that to the multiple cars of one of my next door neighbors). Therefore, patrons were forced to park further away or in the Cafe Brazil lot which in turn got them towed. Mr. Fuentes doesn’t seem to care much about his employees it seems. Now they are all parked (or squeezed like sardines) in a small section in front of the clinic and only because it is barricaded due to construction. I only wonder what will happen with construction moves to the other side of the street or is finished all together.

    Thank you, that now concludes my further rant on parking in BAD.

  4. Kidd Springs resident @ February 17, 2012 at 4:52 pm
    It’s not an understatement that the Kidd Springs neighborhood is being overrun by Bishop Arts District parking. As homeowners, if we sit on our back porch in the evenings, tow trucks pull into our back alley and hook up cars all night long. It really creates bad energy.

    The homeowners in the area should not be expected to absorb all the restaurant parking. The new Gloria’s is, sadly, a big-box restaurant and parking has become a huge problem. Business owners – would you want this right in front of your own house?

  5. oak cliff townie @ February 17, 2012 at 8:13 pm
    Going somewhere that I know in advance its going to be a pain to park or navigate seems foolish to me.

    And not exactly big parts of a fun evening .

  6. Art Garcia @ February 17, 2012 at 9:10 pm
    Good residential points. One thing to consider are strategically placed parking lots ( yes and sorry). Bike lanes will certainly help for locals however, won’t solve the issue for our out of town guests. This certainly is one of those growing pains we have to go contend with. Dialog will be a good thing.

  7. David Wilson @ February 18, 2012 at 9:06 pm
    QUOTE: It seems there will be dialog after all. Amy Cowan, one of predominant planners of the Mardi Gras parade, said business owners plan to discuss these parking tribulations at their next monthly meeting — March 21, 9 a.m. at Hunky’s.

    Hey guys, are you even considering inviting the residents to this meeting. Do you plan to dictate to us how we should not demand the use of our RESIDENTIAL parking spaces when your drunk customers need them.

  8. Mark @ February 18, 2012 at 9:17 pm
    Any business foolish enough not to make plans for parking for their patrons and employees deserves all the negative remarks shown here. The residents have every right to a quiet street for their daily living and the employees need a safe place for their vehicles when they come to work. If this was not part of the planning for the business at the outset, then they should have been denied the right to open the building. Therefore, the city planners share a part of the blame here, but mostly the incredibly short-sighted business owners.

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