A total of 940 patrons, employees and downtown Hot Springs community members provided input relating to parking through a collaborative survey in January 2023 from the City of Hot Springs and Walker Consultants.
The online Hot Springs Downtown Parking & Mobility Questionnaire was distributed to allow the City and Walker Consultants to learn more about parking and mobility from the viewpoint of current residents, visitors, business owners and downtown employees. The survey results will be added to the input gathered at two public meetings held on Dec. 1, 2022, regarding the implementation of a paid parking management system.
See the complete Hot Springs Parking & Mobility Survey results, compiled by Walker Consultants.
The following is a sampling from the survey responses:
- The majority of respondents (82%) go downtown for the dining options. The second most popular response (69%) was to attend special events/festivals, followed closely by retail/shopping visits (68%).
- Twenty-two percent of respondents go downtown frequently (a few times a week), while 13.5% go downtown daily. Just over 12% of respondents reported going downtown only a few times a year.
- When asked to rate their typical parking experience in downtown, 40% of respondents rated it as “somewhat negative,” while 21.6% rated it as a “negative” experience. Only 5.5% rated their parking experience as “very positive.”
- When asked to provide examples of negative parking challenges, a majority of respondents (48%) listed the lack of available parking, while 26% responded that walking distance and convenience were challenges.
The survey was publicized through press releases, social media and emails from the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce and Visit Hot Springs’ ResortTalk. The full results from the survey will be included in the paid parking implementation project, which is nearing completion.