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The City of Washington is working with East Carolina University on a parking study that could help bring improvements to the city’s developing downtown area.

City Manager Jonathan Russell said a graduate class in ECU’s Planning and Development department wants to undertake a capstone project in which they evaluate and create a report about Washington’s parking situation.

Russell said the class consists of 20 students, and they’ll be divided into four groups for the project.

Russell said he planned to meet with the head of the department and discuss what the scope of the project will be.

The project is of no cost to the city.

“I know parking’s been a big issue among Council and business owners downtown,” Russell said. “It’ll be interesting to see what they may come up with.”