Downtown parking fixes urged as Riverhead’s ‘renaissance’ boosts demand

A parking and mobility consultant hired by Riverhead Town last year delivered an extensive briefing Thursday on parking conditions in downtown Riverhead, urging the Town Board to take immediate steps to modernize and manage a system he said has long suffered from inconsistent enforcement, outdated signage and growing demand from new residential development.

Kevin Wood, of Parking and Mobility Consultants, walked the board through survey results, field observations and data collected over the past year. His presentation, which he described as the first in a series he plans to give the board, focused on “low-hanging fruit” the town can act on quickly while preparing for longer-term decisions about technology upgrades and a possible parking structure.

“Riverhead is having a renaissance that will impact all town services,” Wood said. “Parking is going to be part of that, and the town needs to act before it becomes a real problem.”

Surveys show safety concerns, scarce evening parking for residents

Wood said residential development in and around Main Street has put new pressure on public lots, particularly at night. Surveys conducted with residents of five downtown apartment complexes revealed widespread concerns about safety, lighting, sidewalk conditions and competition for parking spaces with restaurant and bar traffic.

Many residents expressed support for a future parking deck, he said, but also stressed the need for adequate lighting and secure access.

Business owners reported different frustrations. Wood said a majority of Main Street merchants told him the one-hour limit on Main Street is rarely enforced, leading to long-term parking by employees, courthouse visitors and apartment dwellers. That lack of turnover, merchants said, hurts foot traffic and customer access.

“A managed parking system must balance the needs of several stakeholder classes, whose priorities often conflict,” according to the consultant’s presentation. “Successful systems focus on access, turnover, fairness, safety, and economic vitality, which naturally serve a broad set of users.”

Drone footage: plenty of parking at Alive on 25 until peak hours

Wood also showed drone video captured during two Alive on 25 events over the summer. The footage showed that large municipal lots, including the railroad and court lots, had abundant parking during early evening hours. Some lots near Main Street filled up around 7 p.m., he said, but significant capacity remained west of Griffing Avenue.

“People talk about there being no parking during events, but the data shows otherwise,” Wood said.

Outdated signs, faded striping and poor wayfinding

Wood highlighted inconsistent and sometimes decades-old parking signs, including mismatched ADA signs and unclear time-limit markers. Many lots need restriping, he said, noting that faded or confusing striping contributes to violations and contested tickets.

He also pointed out obsolete or conflicting conditions in several lots, including blocked access points and unused or ambiguous areas that could be repurposed for public use.

Wood displayed a prototype of a digital wayfinding map that would allow drivers to see the location, rules, accessibility, and policies of each lot, along with street-view images.

Recommendations: enforce rules, restripe and name lots, improve communication

Wood urged the town to begin with a set of immediate improvements that he said would meaningfully improve the downtown parking experience without major cost.

His recommendations include:

• strict, consistent enforcement of Main Street’s one-hour parking rule
• restriping of all municipal lots this spring
• updated, consistent signage, including ADA-compliant signs
• naming or numbering all public lots to reduce confusion
• expanded shared-parking agreements with private lot owners
• a digital wayfinding tool with real-time updates
• coordinated public messaging through the Chamber, BIDMA, Riverhead Now and the town
• a text-to-help system for parking questions
• consideration of a seasonal trolley to shuttle visitors during construction and events

He emphasized that enforcement is essential for any future zoning or time-limit system to work.

“Parking policy without enforcement can never be successful,” Wood said.

Town Board members praise report, ask for rapid next steps

Board members thanked Wood for the level of detail and outreach, which included dozens of in-person interviews with business owners and several rounds of mailed residential surveys.

Riverhead Director of Planning and Economic Development Dawn Thomas said Wood’s work helped untangle years of stalled proposals. “When we had to really get down and untie the knots, it was Kevin’s work that put everything into perspective,” she said.

Supervisor Tim Hubbard said merchants have responded positively to Wood’s engagement and to the police department’s increased foot patrol presence downtown.

Wood said he plans to return for additional work sessions to present specific recommendations, costs, technology options and long-term planning for a multi-deck structure and the future of the parking district.