The fact that parking is a problem in the Jefferson-Bishop Arts area isn’t new; the fact that people are starting to consider legitimate options to resolve the issue is.

The DMN has a good story (behind its paywall) discussing the various options to relieve existing parking woes (cars spilling into surrounding neighborhoods) and to locate more spaces to help entice visitors. There’s some talk in the DMN story about a park-and-ride system and pedicabs, and although those are worthy thoughts, they’re not the kind of ideas likely to work in Dallas, where for better or worse people seem to like keeping their cars close when they go somewhere.

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Something that might make sense is an idea we asked then-candidate Mike Rawlings about during our pre-election video interviews. Since the city has been so gung-ho about spending taxpayer money Downtown (convention center hotel, super bridges and Trinity Tollroad), why couldn’t the city issue revenue bonds for, say, a parking garage or two in the Bishop Arts and Jefferson areas? Parking garages make money (hence the ability to issue revenue bonds), and running a garage is something the city should be able to handle if it believes it can run a hotel.

For businesses in the neighborhood to permanently grow and flourish, permanent parking solutions need to be found. Now-Mayor Rawlings indicated a willingness to consider the idea when he was running for the office; it’s time to see exactly what he had in mind.