Residents who have been eager to see an expansion of the city’s residential parking program will be pleased to learn that the agenda for Monday’s City Council meeting included a communication from the council that will be sent to the Traffic and Parking Commission in regards to exactly that.
The letter, which was drafted and co-signed by councilors Roy Avellaneda and Brian Hatleberg, reports “At a recent subcommittee hearing, some councilors expressed the opinion that the restoration of a nighttime traffic enforcement must be coupled with expansion of the residential parking program in order for ticketing to be fair and effective in deterring legal parking.”
The councilors admit in the communication that the residential parking program has caused problems for some businesses and residents, and that no expansion should take place without a thorough review of the existing plan’s results and the consideration of improvements in anticipation of any expansion.
In general, though, the council has fairly been consistent in reporting that a majority of residents claim to be in favor of an expansion of the residential parking program.
Such an expansion, as well as a restoration of nighttime parking enforcement, was discussed at a subcommittee on conference meeting prior to the March 26th regular meeting. Councilor Hatleberg reported then that many residents whom he had consulted in his district said they “prefer to have things enforced as a sort of order mechanism,” and therefore would favor a return of nighttime parking enforcement.