Diagonal parking may be removed from downtown streets under construction

If the proposed downtown street parking changes are adopted next month by the Newton City Council, then diagonal parking will be prohibited on the 100 block of East Second Street North and the 100 block of East Third Street North, which are currently under construction. If approved, only parallel parking will be allowed.

Newton City Council reviewed the first reading of the downtown street parking changes, which also included restricting parking on the south side of the 4200 to 4300 blocks of South 22nd Avenue East in order to avoid heavy trucks damaging Iowa Rural Water Association’s driveway when trying to turn around.

However, the downtown parking changes are the result of the streetscape project making the street widths more narrow on the 100 block of East Second Street North, between Sersland Park and the old Newton Daily News building, and the 100 block of East Third Street North, between Cappy’s and Pizza Hut.

According to city documents, diagonal parking would still be allowed on the west sides of East Second Street North and East Third Street North along the 200 to 400 blocks, or from North Second Avenue to North Fourth Avenue. Other areas in downtown Newton, including the square, still allow diagonal parking.