The study area encompasses a significant portion of the downtown area and West Hillsborough. The West Hillsborough area is a growing part of town.

The study area includes:

• A high concentration of commercial, employment and economic activity.
• A mix of public and private parking, with on-street parking, surface lots and multi-story parking structures.
• Main corridors, such as North Churton and King streets.
• Gold Park.

Additional main roads in the study area include:

• Bellevue Avenue
• Margaret Lane
• Dimmocks Mill Road
• Allison, Calvin, Cameron, Eno, Nash, Queen and Tryon streets

Effective parking strategies are essential as the town continues to invest in revitalizing its downtown area, including West Hillsborough. A strategic parking management plan will allow Hillsborough to maximize the potential of its downtown for commercial, residential and tourism growth. 

Goals for this project are to:

• Assess the current supply and demand of parking in downtown Hillsborough.
• Understand perceptions about parking in the area.
• Analyze parking needs to proactively address challenges in the downtown parking infrastructure.
• Identify opportunities to improve the accessibility, visibility and use of parking in the area.
• Develop strategies to manage existing parking resources with broader community needs and the evolving demands of downtown users.
• Align parking strategies with previous planning initiatives, including the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan.
• Create a long-lasting parking management plan that supports existing downtown improvement efforts.

The Board of Commissioners adopted the parking study on Sept. 8.

The parking study recommends some changes to the town’s parking management policies and operations. Additionally, the consultant recommended coordination with Orange County and private property owners to open up additional public parking opportunities.

Recommended updates to the town’s management policies include:

• Designating a staff member as the town’s parking manager.
• Facilitating shared parking agreements with private lot owners.
• Coordinating with Orange County to increase the number of available spaces.
• Providing more parking spaces that meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Managing and enforcing loading zones.

The study also recommends the following changes to the town’s operational procedures: 

• Optimizing the existing parking inventory with improvements like improved signage, real-time parking information, and increased short-term and drop-off parking.
• Encouraging other modes of transportation.
• Coordinating alternative transportation, like shuttles and public transportation, for large events.

Read the parking study final report.