The Challenge: A Good Problem to Have

Downtown Middlebury is thriving. Its unique shops and local businesses attract crowds daily, a sign of a healthy town center. But with that vibrancy comes a familiar challenge: finding a parking space. Recognizing this, the Town of Middlebury initiated a parking study in late 2024 to understand the magnitude of the issue and plan for the future. The study quickly identified the busiest times. If you’ve ever felt like parking is toughest at midday, you’re right. Data shows that peak parking demand occurs between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM, with the highest demand right around lunchtime.

A Closer Look: The Four Core Blocks

To get a more practical sense of where people are parking and the businesses generating the demand, the study focused on the four main blocks of downtown, dividing them into NW, NE, SW, and SE zones. Combined, these blocks offer 337 parking spaces, with about two-thirds (224 spaces) available to the public. At peak time, surveys found 262 of these spots were occupied, leaving only 75 spaces free across the downtown.

Chart 1: Downtown Walk Zones

While 75 empty spaces might sound like a lot, they can be hard to find. This highlights the concept of “practical capacity.” An industry rule of thumb is that a parking area feels “full” and becomes difficult to navigate once it hits 85% occupancy. Beyond this threshold, drivers struggle to find available parking and have to circle the block or park further away and walk to their destination.

The study revealed that during peak hours, the NW, SW, and SE zones are at or over the practical capacity. In particular, the SE zone sees the highest demand, given the existing mixture of retail and restaurants in this zone.

Chart 2: Peak Parking Demand vs. Capacity

Planning for the Future

The study also analyzed future needs based on the current mix of businesses and engineering demand rates. While this analysis calculates a 162-parking deficit, this number should not be understood as a mandate to build that many spaces.

Instead, the study emphasizes that a variety of strategies could be implemented to make existing parking more effective while determining where new spaces would be most impactful. The goal is a balanced approach: better managing the spaces we already have while identifying the best locations for any additional parking.

The primary recommendation is to explore opportunities for additional public parking in the SE zone, where data shows the greatest need. This strategic addition, combined with other parking management tools, will help support our local businesses and ensure downtown Middlebury remains an accessible destination for years to come.