A POPULAR street has seen an influx of parking and return infringements. City officials are launching a new program to help residents reduce traffic.
Residents complained after drivers broke dozens of parking rules near a restaurant with limited spaces.
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Drivers in Denver’s Applewood neighborhood complained to the local CBS affiliate, KCNC-TVabout a flood of vehicles.
Christine Handel, a resident of the neighborhood, said she witnessed dozens of cars blocking sidewalks and turning onto private property.
“I made them temporarily park in my garage,” she also claimed.
“It’s extremely disturbing.”
A popular restaurant drew dozens of Colorado drivers just down the street from Handel’s home.
The restaurant also has several delivery drivers looking for parking in the area.
However, the company recently abandoned excess parking.
Handel said the decision to restrict extra parking has driven drivers to his street looking for roadside parking.
She said this created a congestion problem with cars lined up on each side of the street.
“It’s like going through a gauntlet downtown,” Handel said.
“You can’t get two cars to pass each other easily.”
City officials are considering a new licensing policy to help reduce on-street parking.
The Lakewood City Council began public debate on potential licensing rules on June 10.
Officials looked at other communities like Aurora that have implemented on-street parking permits.
The licenses would come from a private company that can impose fines on those who park unauthorized.
Are you covered by law for parking on public streets?
Parking on a public street is generally legal, even in front of someone’s home, experts say.
Unless the home is in an HOA subdivision, an apartment complex with assigned spaces, or there are laws against parking during certain days or times, it is not illegal to park a vehicle in front of someone’s home on a public street.
“Generally speaking, an individual citizen does not ‘own’ or have any continuing exclusive right to use a parking space on a public street,” he wrote Nolo Legal.
“These spaces are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.”
Most states have rules against vehicles parking in the same location for 72 hours, or blocking fire hydrants, driveways, and driveways, as a vehicle parked in these spaces presents a safety risk.
Police would not enforce parking policies to address more critical community safety concerns, officials said.
The City Council is expected to vote on the licenses at the next meeting.
Residents around the restaurant sent drone footage of their streets during the last city council meeting.
They said images of the cars showed the problems plaguing the congested streets.
City officials said they hope the restaurant will eventually find parking solutions for its guests.
“It’s about parking requirements at the time,” Mike Whiteaker, the city’s transportation engineer, told the station.
“They were very low and it was a very popular restaurant, and there were a lot of backlashes in the neighborhood.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
