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Chatham Arch district residents struggle as nonresidents consume street parking

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Posted at 6:25 PM, May 23, 2023
and last updated 2023-05-23 18:35:11-04

INDIANAPOLIS — The Chatham Arch Historic District sits in the northeast corner of downtown Indianapolis. It's home to some of the city's most popular businesses.

When driving through the neighborhood, you'll find cars parked up and down the streets.

"I think it's a huge problem. I see cars parked every single street is lined with cars. Every single street," said Dee Macheda.

Street parking is a headache for some residents.

President of the neighborhood association, Dee Macheda, says at times, people who live here are forced to park away from their homes because the spots are already full.

"That's the main thing finding parking places and then the difficulty with people who aren't familiar with the neighborhood are going through stop signs. Either, they don't see them or ignore them or people speeding up and down the streets," she said.

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She says the heavy traffic comes from the Bottleworks District, Mass Avenue, and construction.

"Now, we find that construction workers who are working at Bottleworks are parking here. We find people going to the theater going to yoga class, going to restaurants are parking here," said Macheda.

Thomas Hanson works for a food-delivery service and visits the Bottleworks District often. He says parking is a nightmare.

"So hard, so hard and I always have to worry about throwing on my hazards right here and I am not going to pay for parking because I am only going in here for five minutes. It's that battle of finding a place and hopefully not getting that ticket while I am in the store too so it's really hard," said Hanson.

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"Do you ever park in the neighborhoods to try to prevent from having to pay here," asked WRTV's Rachael Wilkerson.

"If I have to, I do. I don't typically do it. This is usually packed not right now because it's a Tuesday but on a Friday or Saturday it's especially hard because it's so crowded down here," said Hanson. "I rather do that than pay 5-10 dollars to park there."

Macheda is asking the community for help.

"If you are going to park in our neighborhood, please be respectful of where you are parking and how you are driving. If you can afford it park in the parking lot or in the garage not right in front of someone's home," she said.

The neighborhood is a popular place for parking because most street parking is free, not metered.