How Hard is it to Park a School Bus Downtown?

City officials, cultural organizations, and schools discuss serious challenges – and potential next steps

February 27, 2023 | A shortage of parking for buses downtown is a significant challenge for area schools, and for the cultural organizations they’re visiting on field trips. Earlier this month, ArtsAVL hosted a meeting with downtown cultural organizations and City of Asheville staff to discuss limited options for parking in town and brainstorm potential next steps for a situation that has worsened due to staffing issues and shifts in City policy.

The group included representatives from ArtsAVL, the Asheville Art Museum, Asheville Community Theatre, the Asheville Downtown Association, Asheville Museum of Science, Asheville Symphony Orchestra, LEAF Global Arts, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, and the YMI. Two representatives from the City of Asheville and three from Buncombe County Schools were also in attendance for the meeting at the Center for Craft.

Centrally located, easy to find lots are not only important for safety and accessibility, but also because school groups driving in from out of town need parking that is easy to find. However, designated bus parking lots in or within walking distance of downtown cultural institutions number five total, and only one (53 N. Market St.) is centrally located. Students and teachers have to walk long distances and cross busy intersections as they make their way to institutions from these lots, as many of their destinations have insufficient space for drop-offs. A formerly utilized bus parking area on S. Market St. is currently unavailable.

Attendees expressed frustration that the City no longer allows meter bagging, the practice of covering meters to reserve spaces for buses that are parking or dropping off students. The City discontinued bagging meters in February 2022. In an email communicating the change on Feb. 19, Parking Services Director Garrett Male wrote that buses are encouraged to use “several designated Bus Parking/Loading areas throughout the Central Business District” that are available “without the additional accommodation that we must make whenever bagging meters.”

Aggravating the issue of meter bagging is the lack of enforcement of loading zones, specifically in South Pack Square Park, a central zone for student dropoff and pickup due to the proximity of many cultural institutions. The limited number of existing parking spaces is also inadequate for demand, as sometimes up to 12 buses at one time need parking. Currently, there is only one designated bus dropoff spot in the Central Business District, in front of Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Because of high demand, it is often unavailable.

A widespread school staffing shortage is compounding the challenge. Jeremy Stowe, the Buncombe County School District’s Director of Transportation / Community Outreach, explained that because of a bus driver shortage, school buses are driven by teachers who need to accompany students on their field trips as chaperones. Dropping off students and waiting nearby in designated lots until pick-up time is not an option for these situations.

For Rae Geoffrey, Executive Director of Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, the stakes are high – not just for her organization or downtown Asheville, but for all of Western North Carolina. “Thousands of school children visit downtown Asheville from across the region each year, sometimes traveling from rural counties an hour or more away to learn at our cultural institutions, museums, and historical landmarks,” she shares. “These visiting children represent the wide spectrum of cultures and backgrounds of all Western NC residents. Their experiences can spark ideas, deepen learning, and help them develop empathy for others.”

She explains that a lack of accessibility creates potentially devastating ripple effects : “School funding for field trips and transportation has long been a barrier to participation for students and teachers – particularly those from lower income districts,” she says. “The loss of accessible parking in proximity to our downtown attractions, including safe loading and unloading zones, creates a further hurdle for teachers and students. Teachers are often tasked with driving the bus and cannot leave their students unattended to park the bus in a remote location. As it becomes harder for groups to organize a trip to downtown, field trips will decrease, and students will lose an important opportunity to take advantage of downtown resources and hands-on learning.”

Next Steps Depend on City Support

Neither City of Asheville representatives (Downtown Development Specialist Dana Frankel and Traffic Engineer Chris Cairns) were aware of the change to meter bagging policies. They committed to getting clarity on the bagging policy and revisiting it.

Attendees suggested that the City reinstate hours when parking specifically for activity buses would be reserved, ideally 8 a.m.-2 p.m. In previous years, the City reserved some spaces between 8 a.m. and noon. The original and suggested times do not, however, accommodate afterschool programs many organizations offer.

Organizations in attendance also brought up closing streets to accommodate buses. The Civic Center, for example, closes Flint Street when they host events with a lot of buses. Other quiet roads downtown might be similarly utilized.

Memorial Stadium was also mentioned as a place that had previously been tried for parking buses, but it din’t prove to be a practical option.

Frankel brought up examples of partnerships with private entities to increase available parking. She suggested reaching out to property owners with surface parking lots, such as United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church and Four Points Sheraton.

They also plan to discuss adding bus parking back on South Market St., creating and enforcing loading zone spaces in South Pack Square Park, and checking with Buncombe County Government about other possible locations.

“I encourage us all to think creatively and I know it’s a challenge,” Frankel said.

Katie Cornell, Executive Director of ArtsAVL, proposed an online calendar shared with and updated by all organizations present. The calendar, created shortly after the meeting, will allow organizations to see when other cultural institutions are holding events that involve buses. As conversations continue, the data provided through the calendar will provide essential information about this ongoing need.