Someone from a larger centre might find it preposterous that Keremeos should have a parking problem on its main street.
It might be an issue that even village residents find preposterous, but it appears there are a few issues that, when looked at in relative terms, might be considered problems.
The biggest concern seems to be extended parking on the main street’s parallel parking spaces. Merchants find the all day parkers are an impediment to business – and they may be right.
Consider the difficulties small towns like Keremeos have attracting business to their small downtown cores.
One of the saving graces of a small community is the ability one has to move around without having to contend with excess traffic; an extension of that is the ability to park within easy distance ( i.e., right in front of) your destination.
One or two vehicles parked strategically on Seventh Avuenue can disrupt “parking flow” on main street, the result being that “easy space” might not be immediately available to a prospective customer. If that person feels too inconvenienced at the particular time, he / she may say to themselves, “Oh, well, I can always pick up what I need in Penticton.”
We hate to say it, but exercise is not likely on the minds of Keremeos consumers when they shop locally. They most likely want to zip downtown, stop in front, or nearly in front of their destination, get what they need, and go.
Parking on Veterans Avenue and walking the short block to the main street is something that would be quite acceptable in a larger centre, but not here, where convenience is the key.
That leads us to the other problem with downtown parking – a lack of respect for private parking areas, and parking in violation of yellow curbs, fire hydrants, or on sidewalks.
Sometimes the situation is too convenient in these respects. Drivers incurring these infractions probably don’t mean to inconvenience anyone else, or break the law – it may be more of a matter of just taking the general ease of downtown parking for granted.
Something to consider with summer – and increased traffic – on the way.
