In the above aerial image of Akron's Kenmore Blvd (the main street running east/west in the illustration) from approximately 16th to 13th Street, I’ve highlighted all available street parking in orange that will not be removed as a result of the street redesign. As you can see, there are a ton of parking spaces no more than 1-2 blocks (about 150-300 feet) away from each Kenmore Blvd business that will be easily accessible for customers after the redesign.

Compare this to a mall or grocery store parking lot, which is typically much larger and which often requires a customer to walk farther than 150 or 300 feet. These are very standard distances that people have no problem traveling on foot on a daily basis.

Yes, customers may need to slightly adjust their habit of parking directly outside a business’s front door. But we’re talking about a difference of a 30- or 60-second walk when we compare a front door parking spot with parking spot just down the street. What’s more, during that walk customers will pass by other businesses on Kenmore and see them up close instead of viewing them through a fast-moving car window. This benefits everyone.

Just to add some additional perspective, in the above image I’ve also highlighted all of the surface parking lots in the vicinity of this segment of Kenmore Blvd in pink. While most of these are private, they show that most customers of the adjacent businesses will be parking in those lots, leaving even more space on the street for customers of the businesses that don’t own private lots.

As I examined these streets on Google Maps, I saw hardly any cars parked on them — perhaps one or two at most. Combining this assessment with data from the City of Akron, it's safe to say there will be dozens, if not hundreds, of vacant spots ready to be occupied by customers of Kenmore Blvd businesses at all times, even after the bike lanes are installed.

A Transition that Benefits Everyone

Business owners can take some very simple steps that will make the transition to a new street design go smoothly, and they can also take heart that this transition is a positive change for Kenmore Blvd and other places like it.

One way to make extra sure that customers aren’t deterred by a slight change in parking is to create signage outside that directs people to nearby side streets and tells customers that these shops are still open for business, even if the street looks slightly different than they're used to. Posting on a business’s website and/or Facebook page to let people know where they can park can be helpful as well.