Downtown parking

There's a new look to downtown Cape Girardeau. The main roadwork for Broadway was completed last month, and most of the new lighting and landscaping are in place.

While the finished product is an improvement, one concern for some is parking. As part of the redesign, parking was eliminated on the north side of Broadway.

To help address this issue, the city established an agreement with Trinity Lutheran Church for a public lot in Broadway's 500 block. This will provide 47 spaces for parking.

Mayor Harry Rediger announced recently the city is also looking into a trolley system -- on wheels, not a track -- for downtown Cape Girardeau.

In his column in Nov. 13's Southeast Missourian, Rediger wrote that his vision is for residents to park one time and use the trolley to move around the downtown area.

"I envision a trolley that has a ‘touristy motif' that could further influence the perception of this area being a tourist destination," Rediger wrote.

A trolley is an interesting proposition. Similar systems have been successful in other communities, and with parking a concern, this is something worth considering.

The Southeast Missourian has a poll question this week asking if you believe a trolley would be widely used. We encourage you to vote and leave a comment at semissourian.com/polls.

If you haven't been downtown recently, we hope you pay a visit soon. The new layout has given the area a nice face-lift, and several businesses have also spruced up their properties. With the city aiming to address parking concerns, things appear to be coming together for the downtown area.