By USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs
In the coming days, U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart public works crews will begin installing signs along Florida Strasse at Patch Barracks to better define where drivers can (and can’t) park during working hours.
Over the past few months, cars and trucks parked on both sides of Florida Strasse have caused impediments to traffic flow that have made it hard for service and construction vehicles to safely get through. Vehicles have also been parked in a manner that reduced visibility for residents in the area as they exited their driveways.
“The street is not designed to handle as much traffic and vehicle obstruction as we’re now seeing at peak times,” said USAG Stuttgart Commander Col. Kirk Alexander. “We are installing the signs to provide better guidance on parking during the day to alleviate some of these issues.”
The signs will initially limit parking to one side of the street from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Between Buildings 2416 and 2430, drivers will be allowed to park on the east side of the street (the side with even building numbers). Past building 2431, parking will be allowed on the south side of the street (the side with odd building numbers).
The garrison continues to work on additional solutions to ease parking on Patch. Completion of ongoing construction work is expected to help.
“We were down more than 150 parking spots last fall,” said Marisa Barrie, USAG Stuttgart Public Works Director. “As we have completed sewer repairs and other work, we have returned 110 spots to service. By late summer, we will gain another 40 spots back upon completion of the work at the Patch Fitness Center. In the fall, we will gain approximately 20 spots when work finishes at Building 2301. We also gained 42 spots by adding parking along Montana Strasse across from Washington Square and by creating a new parking lot near the commissary.”
“We recognize parking on Patch is a huge challenge,” said Alexander. “We recognize that space on Florida Strasse can be part of the solution, but we need to keep driving lanes clear for safe movement of traffic.”