By MATT PATNEAUDE

Two intertwined topics affecting Wallingford business owners, employees, residents and visitors - too much traffic along N. 45th and not enough available parking in the area - were discussed at the Wallingford Chamber of Commerce meeting on Feb. 17.

Kathy Anderson from Seattle Transportation was on hand to provide information about a recently completed trip reduction survey while Mary Catherine Snyder from the City of Seattle's Strategic Planning Office talked about an ongoing parking study in the area.

The goal of the trip reduction survey is to provide employers with information about how they can encourage less single occupancy vehicle commuting by their employees, Anderson said. The use of alternatives would reduce congestion and make local businesses more accessible to customers. More than 600 trip reduction surveys were distributed to Wallingford area employees and 244 of these have been returned.

The survey found that the average one-way trip for a Wallingford employee is 7.8 miles. Of those who commute to work by car between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. at least four days a week, seven out of 10 survey respondents said they drive alone.

Employees who drive alone to work at least 60 percent of the time said that they would consider using other modes of transportation if they were offered a financial incentive to do so, be provided an immediate ride home in case of an emergency, and/or if their employer would provide them with a company car to conduct trips for work purposes.

Anderson also presented information about the likelihood of employees trying alternative modes including carpooling, transit, bicycling, telecommuting, and working compressed work weeks. She noted that perhaps the most interesting statistic was while only 15 of the respondents currently bicycle to work, 61 said they were likely to try it.

The Comprehensive Neighborhood Parking Study for Wallingford was then discussed by Snyder. While the study is ongoing, there are some preliminary findings. By better managing and enforcing the existing on-street parking system, more spaces could be made available in the Wallingford business district - the stretch of N. 45th, from Stone Way on the west to I-5 on the east, she said. The study also suggests that the City can help neighborhood businesses by increasing the supply of short-term retail parking.

However, some business owners believe that a one- to two-hour parking limit is not enough. They say this hinders people who want to stay in the neighborhood for much of the day to shop, eat and see a movie at the Guild 45th Theatres. While construction of a large parking structure - either a parking garage or a parking lot - is a possibility, the study is finding that this may not be a financially feasible option, Snyder said.

Parking is essential to the survival of Wallingford businesses, as one less parking space can result in the loss of eight sales a day, say local merchants. Hopefully, this will encourage employers and employees to work together to promote the use of alternative modes of transportation in hopes of freeing parking space for customers.

For more information, contact the Wallingford Chamber at 632-3165.