"It begins to solve one of our challenging resource problems," said Willow Glen Business and Professional Association's President Cathy Adkins, owner of Willow Glen Books.

Merchants on Lincoln Avenue have been frustrated for years about the lack of available parking in downtown Willow Glen, said Details owner Bernie Levine. And there has been little improvement during the last 32 years he's owned his shop.

His solution to the parking dilemma was telling his employees to double-park in the back to leave more spaces for customers.

Adkins said parking is an issue that the association put on high priority for more than two years.

"Parking and beautification are the top one and two items that matter to customers," she said.

In an effort to finally ease the parking problem, Bank of America signed a parking license agreement with the city to share 75 of its 115 spaces to relieve some of the parking shortage.

Barranti Hair Design hairstylist Juan Mario said that many customers have complained about the lack of parking but are afraid to park in any of the bank lots because of the towing signs.

"I'm tired of the gripes," he said.

He was glad to hear more parking was in the works, and so was Gold Star Jewelers owner Star Kharmandaryan.

"We lose customers who drive around five times and call us and say they are leaving," he said.

Willow Glen resident Kathy Key said usually she can find parking behind Vin Santo when she comes downtown twice a week, but sometimes nothing's available.

In the agreement inked with the city, San Jose negotiated with Bank of America to pay for the maintenance and landscaping of 75 spaces in the 115-space parking lot for three years. After that, the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association will take over the costs.

San Jose Office of Economic Development Manager of Corporate Outreach Nanci Klein said the Bank of America agreement was a "generous civic gesture."

Klein said the city received Bank of America's written agreement on March 4, and it will take a couple of weeks for the transportation department to restripe the lot and add signage before it will be open to the public.

Bank of America now has 86 spaces, but with the city's restriping, the lot will hold 115 cars. Bank of America customer parking will be limited to 30 minutes, while public parking will be limited to two hours. After 6 p.m. parking will be unlimited, but the lot will close at midnight, Klein said.

The agreement is "friendly to the customers and rewarding to Bank of America," said Adkins. And she hopes that the action will pave the way for other businesses to open up extra parking in their lots.

District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager also sees this as a step in the right direction.

He heard from merchants and residents "loud and clear" that more parking was essential to generating better business in the downtown area. And he said this is hopefully the first step toward improving the problem.