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Winston-Salem Considers Adding Handicap Parking Spots Downtown

Flickr User Nolan Williamson

Winston-Salem could see designated handicap accessible parking spaces added in the downtown area, as City Council considers making changes to its on-street parking.

Right now, with a few exceptions, if you have a handicap placard or tag, you can park in any metered space downtown for an unlimited amount of time and you don't have to pay a fee. 

But some community members say it's not enough. They recently expressed concerns to council members about a lack of designated parking spaces for disabled people along downtown streets. They say Winston-Salem lags behind other large cities that offer more spots.

Assistant City Manager Gregory Turner says they will collect public input from local businesses, organizations and residents before any decision is made.

“We will look at several possibilities and talk with various groups. Some of the spaces may need to be taken out of a loading zone in order to be handicap spaces," Turner says. "It means making sure that the space will work and that it's accessible.”

He adds that any move could also reduce the number of general parking spots available. 

Turner says he's not sure how long the process will take. He expects the Public Safety Committee to review the community feedback in February.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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