New Reverse Angle Parking for Downtown Macon

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Downtown Macon is becoming more metropolitan with the addition of reverse angle parking.

City Work crews closed two blocks of Third Street between Pine and Oak Streets, Tuesday. City workers painted lines for Macon’s first reverse angle parking. It is part of the Second Street Corridor Plans, connecting downtown to Mercer University.

Macon Mayor Robert Reichert said the new parking is different but he believes it will be better for restaurants and store customers in the long run.

“Some people may say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks and we don’t believe that,” said Reichert. “If somebody comes up with a better mouse trap and a better way to do things, that’s safer and more efficient then we can incorporate that into the design of our downtown.”

Macon-Bibb County traffic engineers got the idea from Chattanooga and Charlotte, where reverse angle parking is popular. City engineers went to Charlotte to learn more.

“Their concept was working well and we piggy back off some of their design signs and we thought that we could use it here in Macon,” said Macon-Bibb County Engineer, Floyd Nigel.

The mayor said reverse angel parking allows drivers to see around large trucks and SUV’s, preventing accidents. The city created signs to show drivers how to correctly park in the angle parking spaces.