RESIDENTIAL PARKING RESTRICTIONS

RESIDENTIAL PARKING RESTRICTIONS. Beginning in 1985, the city allowed parking restrictions if petitioned by at least 60% of the residents in a specified area. Parked vehicles without permits were ticketed with a $15.00 fine. If vehicles were found to have at least three unpaid parking tickets more than 30 days old or five unpaid parking tickets more than seven days old, the cars could be towed.

Residents living within the specified area could apply for two parking permits per household. The permits cost $15 each and had to be renewed annually. Each permit holder also received one free guest permit.

In July, 2017 city council members voted unanimously to lower the threshold required to expand or reduce residential paring districts. To expand the district, it was formerly necessary for the council to receive a petition from at least 60% of the households in the existing district and the area to be added. Under the new policy, it was necessary to receive a petition from 60% of the residents only from the area to be added--an area as small as one block. Changing an existing district's size still required approval of 60% of the residents within the entire district.

Once a petition was received, a study was done to determine the degree of congestion. The city required at least 80% of the curbside spots within an area be used during the peak hours of the day. Of those, at least 25% had to be occupied by vehicles owned by people not living in the district. The new ordinance lowered the congestion criteria to 70%.

---

Source:

Barton, Thomas J., "City Revisits Residential Parking Districts," Telegraph Herald, July 7, 2017, p. 1