Category: Transportation / Parking (Page 1 of 10)

If you’re one of those people who get frustrated trying to find a spot to park in Glenwood South, you’ll want to read this.  Does this sound like you?

• I prefer on-street parking, but drive around in circles and rarely find an open spot.
• I know of a few parking decks, but I don’t like to park there and avoid them.
• I wish there were more surface parking lots.

If so, you probably didn’t know that in addition to the three multi-story parking decks, there are 10 parking lots in Glenwood South, yet most of these parking lots are rarely used.  Why? You can easily drive right by them, because they’re behind buildings or hidden behind shrubbery.

Many lots are only available after-hours

Another reason these lots are under-utilized is that they are associated with private businesses, so people assume they’re not available.  Like most others, you avoid the risk being towed.

You may be surprised to know that Glenwood South has seven publicly available after-hours lots with a combined 138 spaces.  This is thanks to companies like Park Select, who have developed a business model focusing on small private lot owners, encouraging them to make their lots available to the public during after-hours, after their business is closed.

Online app makes finding parking easier Continue reading

You may have done this – troll along looking for one of 70 coveted parking spaces along Glenwood Avenue that are free of charge after 5PM on weekdays, and all day/night on weekends.  If they’re full, you drive down side streets, hoping to squeeze into a space tucked beside one of the arrows indicating no parking adjacent to driveways and entrances.  It’s only as a last resort that you opt for the $5 – $7 prepay charge for the 800 or so spaces available at three local public parking decks.

Did you know that you have a lot more options than these?

The Glenwood South Neighborhood Collaborative is now creating a parking map that lists all the possibilities, so you can make an informed decision about where to leave your car.  You may be surprised…

For the convenience of parking steps from your destination in lots on Glenwood Avenue and West Street, check out the many private pay parking lots [list below] that are made available for public use after hours.

But there is also another option only slightly less convenient, that offers thousands of spaces available for FREE.

State Parking decks and lots are scattered throughout the Capital District, with a combined total of over 4,000 spaces that are free to to the public during evenings (after 5:00pm) and on weekends.

State Parking spaces are more convenient than you think.

If this seems too complicated, think again. State parking spaces are more convenient than you might think.  Yes, Capital Boulevard inhibits pedestrian access to Glenwood South from the northern most State parking decks, but these decks are adjacent to R-Line stops, so it’s an easy five minute bus ride.  If you don’t mind a short walk, it only takes ten minutes to get to Glenwood South from the State parking lots located just off Lane Street.

Click here for a map showing the location of the available State parking decks and lots.

Living in a condo that faces the top floor of the garage next to the Carolina Ale House, I can directly measure the increased business flooding into Glenwood South.  Up until now, I could leave my blinds open, since it was rare that the cars even filled the decks below our windows.  Now on weekends, I see cars circling to the top level and returning back down in search of a spot.  Seen as a gauge for how hopping things are for the dinner crowds and into the late night, filled parking places are great news for the neighborhood.  Now we can spread the news that there are a lot more spaces to fill.

Come on down!  The parking’s great!

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Pay Parking decks and lots available after-hours:

• 21 Glenwood Avenue / 42 spaces (b) (behind Salon 21)
• 107 Glenwood Avenue / 17 spaces (a)
• 9 Glenwood Avenue / 15 spaces (a)
• 201 Glenwood Avenue / 14 spaces (available soon)
• 507 W Peace Street / 10 spaces (b)
• 215 Glenwood Avenue / 10 spaces (a)

Pay Parking decks and lots available all hours:

• 510 Glenwood Avenue / 428 spaces *
• Powerhouse Plaza / 248 spaces (behind Natty Greene’s)
• 222 Glenwood Avenue / 140 spaces *
• 501 N West Street / 88 spaces (a)
• 301 Glenwood Avenue / 71 spaces (behind Hibernian)

* free at lunchtime for patrons of the restaurants located within each building 

(a) cash or pay-by-phone

(b) pay-by-phone only

New Glenwood South exits off Capital Blvd

Sitting between Glenwood South and the Capital District lies the “dead zone”, where with the exception of the West condos, sits a four block area that has so far not been touched by the downtown revitalization going on all around it.

All this could change thanks to the replacement of the Capital Blvd bridge over Peace Street, which luckily gives the City a great opportunity to rebuild and reconnect the street grid in a way that is expected to spur new mixed use redevelopment.

Check out this recent WRAL TV segment. http://bit.ly/GS-deadzone

Other DLA posts about the bridge replacement and ramp design known as the “square loop”.

• The City of Raleigh must support the “square loop”
• A bridge to Raleigh’s future, the decision is now