Beginning this week, drivers who park on Princeton’s South Main Street will begin to test a new angle, with stalls having been converted to 30 degrees as part of a parking feasibility study.

Main Street diagonal parking stalls in front of the court house, Soldiers and Sailors Park and up to Columbus Street were converted from a 45 degree angle to a 30 degree angle, Mayor Joel Quiram said on Sunday.

“This change, as a trial, will provide more room in the driving lanes, better views when backing out and it will provide easier exit and entry from your vehicle,” Quiram said.

Quiram hopes these changes will provide more room in the driving lanes, better views when backing out and will provide easier exit and entry from vehicles.

The city originally planned to test parallel parking in the area as part of the trial, but because of comments from the public and the decrease in total parking spots in order to accommodate larger vehicles; the city elected to try the 30 degree angle instead.

With a full pivot to parallel parking, the area could have seen a decrease of 20 or more parking spaces on Main Street.

Because of the shallower angle of the new spots, there are two fewer parking spaces on the east side and two fewer parking spaces on the west side of Main Street, from Columbus to the stop sign on Park Ave, according to Quiram.

If the study proves successful, the parking could become permanently altered in advance of street repaving next year. The study is planned to run through mid-August.

Quiram added any resident with feedback can call City Hall at 815-875-2631, email City Manager Theresa Whittenauer at twittenauer@princeton-il.com, post on the mayoral or city Facebook page or stop in City Hall to leave comments.