Southside Parking Expansion & Enforcement

What Could Change?

The Chattanooga Parking Authority (CPA) with support from the City of Chattanooga Department of
Transportation (CDOT) is looking to implement the following changes and improvements to the on-street,
public parking in the Southside District:
1. Implement a Residential Parking Program for the Cowart and Fort Negley Neighborhoods with an
appropriate annual permit fee.
2. Install pay facilities on Main Street from Broad Street to Wilhoit Street, including some side streets,
and adding CPA enforcement.

The commercial offerings of the Southside District and Main Street, including the more employment-focused
commercial district along Broad Street, are adjacent to a residential neighborhood. The lack of regulation on
residential streets has led to their use as support for the business district, putting pressure on this constrained
supply particularly for residents.
This area is a good candidate for parking management, pricing and enforcement, including adding a Residential
Parking Program system to preserve access for Southside resident while still allowing the area to grow.

Where Could This Happen?

Why Is This Change Necessary?
The Southside/Main Street District has nearly the same amount of parking as the City Center South district, but
covers a much larger area. It includes the CARTA South public garage facility, which has limited supply with
the areas increased development. It also includes over 1,200 spaces at Finley Stadium, which are typically used
around special events.
The district does have many smaller surface parking facilities, most fewer than 100 spaces, on private lots
supporting related businesses. About half of the remaining off-street spaces (1,666 out of 3,350) are reserved
for employees or customers only. As the restaurant district grows, the residential streets surrounding Main
Street will see spillover if they remain unregulated.
Today’s pricing system encourages people to search for on-street parking. The CARTA south garage is $4 per
day at all times, while parking on Main Street is free. Main Street (east of Cowart), where the spaces are most
convenient to restaurants, is mostly free and unregulated. These spaces are far more valuable to someone
visiting or working in this district than the garage, and are therefore often full, particularly during restaurant
peak hours. This in turn creates frustration, and visitors to the area who can’t find parking may not return.

When Could This Change Happen?

Who should I contact if I have more questions?

Questions for CPA: Questions for CDOT:
Brent Matthews Blythe Bailey
Chattanooga Parking Authority Chattanooga Department of Transportation
matthews_brent@gocarta.org bbailey@chattanooga.gov
(423) 629-1411 x 112 (423) 643-5950