Workers from PK Contracting, of Troy, begin removing the paint from back-in parking spaces Oct. 6 along Washington Avenue in Royal Oak. The lines will be repainted to be traditional pull-in spaces.
By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published October 6, 2025
ROYAL OAK — The repainting of the dreaded back-in parking spaces on Washington Avenue began Oct. 6 to convert them into a more convenient pull-in space.
Parking in Royal Oak has been a hassle for many years, according to City Commissioner Brandon Kolo, who said the change to pull-in parking is just the beginning of a more accessible downtown.
“For the last several years we had a provider who did not live up to their promises and their expectations of the system. So, the commission took action to get out of a bad contract, we got out of it over 18 months early, and now we are deploying the new system,” Kolo said. “Back-in parking was an unfortunate consequence of the old system.”
The city of Royal Oak decided to transition from Municipal Parking Services to Flowbird, the new parking system, on July 14. The city came to this decision based on public forums and discussions between city officials on what was the best option.
“I don’t think Washington is optimized for back-in parking, and I think we see that by people who struggle with using it,” Kolo said. “There’s not enough space to get around someone who’s pulling into their spot. So, that being said, I think I’m excited that we’re moving into pull-in parking.”
Kolo said that the original back-in parking was designed for convenience, but it did not pan out the way the city expected, and ever since the installation of Municipal Parking Systems, the commission tried to fix the back-in parking issues on Washington.
“The commission, I think, saw the error and moved to correct it the best they could,” Kolo said. “The City Commission has been thinking about this and trying to find a resolution almost since we got the MPS system. You know, this has been long thought about, how we could adapt the MPS system to allow for (pull-in) parking, and they just couldn't work with us to make that happen.”
As the transition from MPS to Flowbird continues, City Manager Joe Gacioch hopes to see the topic of parking become an afterthought when people discuss downtown Royal Oak.
“We hope the adjustment simplifies the guest experience downtown,” he said. “If we make things simpler for our guests, in turn we make it simpler for our businesses and downtown employees. We’d like the downtown experience to be the forethought and parking to be an afterthought.”
Gacioch said that the parking spaces are being painted right now because of the requirements needed to paint successfully.
“Because pavement markings require consistent temperatures above 50 degrees for the treatment to stick, our window to repaint the spaces is limited in Michigan’s fall weather,” he said. “Since we know the new parking system will launch on Jan. 1, 2026, we’re taking advantage of this short seasonal window to make the transition now.”
Following the repainting of the spaces, parking on Washington Avenue will be free for the remainder of the year.
“We hope that those businesses can speak positively to their guests about visiting downtown Royal Oak, supporting small business, and experiencing the wonderful downtown fall color change or the beautiful lights that help us shine during the holiday season,” Gacioch said. “This decision reflects our commitment to making downtown parking easier to use and easier to manage — a win-win for our guests and businesses alike, and an early holiday gift to everyone who enjoys downtown Royal Oak.”
For more information on parking and updates, visit romi.gov.