The Moberly City Council approved a contract for professional engineering services related to a Downtown Parking Study during its meeting on Tuesday, February 18.

Moberly Community Relations Manager Scott McGarvey says the city has been looking into how to maximize parking space in downtown Moberly.

McGarvey says the city has tried to find an in-house solution, but decided to Bartlett and West, Inc. conduct the study.

The city has received funds from the Federal Highway Administration Traffic Engineering Assistance Program (TEAP) for this parking study. The grant will pay 80 percent of the $15,000 project cost.

The engineering firm will inventory existing parking configurations and study roadways and intersections in the Downtown area. After analyzing traffic data, Bartlett & West will develop a list of potential alternatives including:
-Altering the angle of parking spaces,
-Conversion of angled parking to parallel parking,
-Installation of painted or raised islands at intersections,
-Consolidation and/or removal of access points.

A construction cost estimate for recommended designs and a traffic study will also be included in the final report.