Downtown Wayne Master Plan: Why North Wayne Avenue Gets a Parklet
October 8, 2026
October 8, 2026
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, a beer delivery truck stopped in the middle of North Wayne Avenue to unload. SAVVY Main Line photographed it and ran the picture next to one item in Radnor Township's new draft plan for downtown, a dedicated loading zone so trucks stop blocking the center of the street.
The truck shows how the plan sees Wayne. The draft is called A Vision for Wayne, and it is meant to guide public and private investment through 2036. It says downtown has enough space overall. The trouble is that cars, trucks, shoppers and diners all want the same few hundred feet of North Wayne Avenue. Nearly everything in the 144-page draft tries to spread that demand out, and the township's first project is a park built on one of the most-used parking lots in town.
The draft counts nearly 2,400 parking spaces downtown. At peak hours, only about two-thirds are full. Demand is concentrated along North Wayne Avenue, while the South Wayne and West Avenue public lots, private lots and SEPTA facilities have open capacity. The study concludes that a parking garage isn't warranted.
The West Avenue lot opened late last year and added more than 100 spaces, Commissioner Catherine Agnew noted at the September meeting. Township officials have described the lot as underused. So the draft doesn't add capacity. It tries to move drivers to the capacity that already exists.
| Tool in the draft | What it would mean on a typical errand |
|---|---|
| Higher rates at the most desirable spaces | The spots closest to North Wayne Avenue cost more than the outer lots |
| Enforcement until 8 p.m. at those spaces | Dinner parking on the main block is no longer free after early evening |
| New meter technology and "Smart Parking" | Meters are modernized, with a program to direct visitors to open spaces |
| Shared use of SEPTA spaces off-peak | Commuter parking opens to everyone outside rush hours |
| Private lots open to the public at certain hours | Business lots join the public supply when their own demand is low |
| Expanded parking on Louella Court | Added supply off the main corridor |
| Better and possibly digital signage | Drivers are pointed to lots like West Avenue instead of circling |
Coverage of the draft does not give a proposed dollar rate for the higher-priced spaces.
If parking mainly needs to be redistributed, the township can afford to take some away where demand is heaviest. That is the logic behind the North Wayne Parklet. On Sept. 14, the Radnor Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to proceed with it. The park would replace 24 parking spaces next to Gingy's Boutique with a 7,500-square-foot gathering space.
The idea has been around for a long time. Agnew said it was first suggested in 2003. Township Manager Bill White said the township wanted to act quickly because so many earlier initiatives had stalled before completion. The design keeps the lot flexible. The plan calls for green bump-outs at each corner, decorative planters, and retractable bollards at both lot entrances so vehicles can still get in when needed. The asphalt would be milled, overlaid, dyed a brick-like color and stamped to look like brick. When the space is used for parking, it would hold about 17 cars.
Several business owners asked the commissioners to slow down. Paul Somboonsong, co-owner of Maison Lotus and Blue Elephant Wayne, said he liked the idea of a park but worried about added strain on businesses. Wayne Business Association president Ken Kearns suggested building it in stages while the larger parking question is worked out. Another speaker proposed a seasonal arrangement, with a park in summer and parking in winter. Bob Hufford, owner of E.M.A. Opticians, explained why the location matters to him:
"I believe that closing and eliminating 24 spots would cause a loss for my business. Anyone who has a business in Wayne knows that customers complain about the parking."
The board adopted two amendments from Commissioner Jack Larkin. One requires more signs directing drivers to other lots. The other moves both construction phases to next year, instead of starting the first phase this fall. The original cost estimate was $155,000, and White said the final price won't be known until the project goes out to bid. The draft master plan puts a separate figure of $1.8 million to $3.5 million on a "premier public park," which appears to describe a larger build-out than the parklet.
The parklet would give North Wayne Avenue a public space at its center. The rest of the draft would redesign the street around that space. The plan levels the curbs on North Wayne Avenue so the street can close more easily for events. It widens the sidewalk on the east side to as much as 20 feet along a key stretch and adds bike facilities. Other recommendations would also reduce the need to drive to the main block. They include connecting the Radnor Trail to downtown with bike racks, calming traffic on Lancaster Avenue with a study of a possible lane-reducing "road diet," and creating the loading zone that would have kept the Sept. 29 beer truck out of the travel lane.
The Anthony Wayne Theater fits the same pattern. The draft supports reopening it with shared parking, designated rideshare zones and discounted tickets for transit riders, so the plan has already worked out how a full house would arrive without a garage. The building itself still needs a full overhaul. Jennifer L. Carlson, executive director of the Anthony Wayne Theater nonprofit, told SAVVY Main Line in August that the group has a $15 million fundraising goal and had raised 20% at the time. She hopes to have something significant open by 2028, the theater's centennial, but has not set a groundbreaking date.
Most of the new businesses this year are on Lancaster Avenue, which is where the plan's road-diet study and wayfinding signs would have the most effect.
Two established restaurants have milestones this season. At The Table is marking 10 years in Wayne with an anniversary tasting menu. In Eagle Village Shops, A Taste of Britain is celebrating 35 years with a $35 prix-fixe menu that raises money for the Wayne Senior Center. It is also offering Full Afternoon Tea Service for $35, Monday through Thursday, throughout October.
The draft also gives the township a role in which businesses fill downtown:
"The Township should take a more active role in maintaining a balanced mix of food, beverage, entertainment, and comparison-goods businesses that serves both long-time residents and newer households."
The draft pairs that goal with incentives for independent shops, including short-term, low-cost options for micro-businesses and pop-ups. That ties to the vacancies Somboonsong raised at the parklet hearing. The plan's answer is to make the main block worth walking to, with a park, wide sidewalks and street closures for events, and to direct the cars to lots a few minutes away.
The executive summary and the full draft are on the township's project site. Patch and Main Line Media News both covered the September vote and the draft's release.
Changes to a downtown like this can affect how a nearby street lives day to day, from where guests park to how easy it is to walk to dinner. If you own a home near North Wayne or Lancaster Avenue and want to talk through what the plan could mean for your block, Megan Van Arkel and our team are glad to go over it with you and give you a current read on your home's value.
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