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Old Posted Mar 2, 2013, 12:36 AM
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I guess this is a good problem to have in a way. It indicates downtown is still alive and will be doing well. From the Ithaca Times:

Downtown Ithaca board hears parking presentation

Posted: Monday, February 25, 2013 8:16 pm | Updated: 8:00 am, Thu Feb 28, 2013.
By Rob Montana editor@ithacatimes.com Twitter: @theithacatimes

DIA Executive Director Gary Ferguson gave a presentation about downtown parking at the meeting, stressing the importance of planning and management. With currently planned projects, such as the addition of the conference room at the Holiday Inn, and the start of work on the Marriott Hotel and Harold's Square projects on the Commons, to name just a few slated to start this year, there will be more vehicles utilizing the downtown parking options. There are three parking garages — Seneca, Green and Cayuga streets — as well as two street-level parking lots available for vehicles, as well as the metered spaces throughout downtown.
Ferguson said it make take some managing, but "I think the parking we have can handle this round of projects."
The executive director discussed the need for transportation demand management to deal with parking issues in the future, noting that the current projects could fill the current lots to capacity and it would more desirable to manage the parking than build another parking structure in the near future.
"If we can fill the existing lots with the new projects, that means we have some work to do," Ferguson said. "How do you convince people to take non-car transportation?"
Among the options being discussed include park and ride with a shuttle service, a guaranteed ride home program, van pooling, car sharing, increasing bus ridership and biking. Those options, however, come with various costs.
In addition to determining how to deal with those who come downtown on a daily basis for work, Ferguson said it's important to have strategies in place to handle those who come downtown for shopping, dining, services, special events or who are visiting as a tourist. He said a number of strategies are being discussed as ways to handle those "transient parkers."
Finally, Ferguson said, there has to be a plan to handle the increased numbers that could come with projects in line with the city's the push for increased density downtown.


Here's the link:

http://www.ithaca.com/news/article_3...a4bcf887a.html
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