Longer parking season not the answer

A recent proposal to extend the parking meter season in Rehoboth for meters on Rehoboth Avenue begs an obvious question.

What problem are city officials trying to solve? Has anyone documented a lack of parking on Rehoboth Avenue in November or, say, March? Do Rehoboth Avenue business owners say people are not shopping or dining in Rehoboth because it's too hard to find a place to park in the off-season?

Rehoboth has a growing parking problem, but it is most acute in summer, when the meters are already in effect. Parking problems in town are growing in part because new houses in Rehoboth are much larger than the cottages they replace, and larger houses generally attract more cars.

Rehoboth has steadfastly refused to build parking in the downtown area, largely because it would see little use for most of the year. Aside from the summer, Sea Witch and the Christmas parade, most people can find a place to park fairly close to their destinations.

Rehoboth officials have tried to slow the the rising number of hotel-sized houses in part by requiring more off-street parking, but as Mayor Sam Cooper recently said, officials also don't want to turn side yards into parking lots.

While extending the meter season may be a solution without a problem, a careful examination of parking and traffic throughout Rehoboth would be a useful first step toward developing a long-range plan to discourage the use of cars and encourage walking and cycling in town.

If Rehoboth really wants to find solutions to the parking problem, it needs to find innovative ways to encourage visitors to leave their cars outside the city. Perhaps it could start by offering a welcome package with discounts on bulky items, such as umbrellas and beach chairs, to those who leave their cars outside of town. It could be combined with frequently cycling vans to take people to their favorite beach and free bicycle rental stations at the park and ride.

Rehoboth officials must begin planning now, not for 2020, but for 2030 and beyond. Developing a plan to provide quick, easy access to the beach without using a car would go a long way toward keeping Rehoboth the friendly, safe resort we love.