EDMONTON – Some southside cul-de-sac residents received an unpleasant surprise recently: parking tickets on their windshields for angle parking – something they’ve been doing for as long as they can remember.
Baller says he’s been angle parking in his cul-de-sac for the past 17 years, Hal Crowell for 26 years, and David Dawkins for just over three decades.
“I’ve been doing this for 31 years, and suddenly plop a ticket on my window,” Dawkins says. “I think they should have given us a warning.”
City officials says tickets are only issued if a complaint is received, as it was in this case.
The city also claims angle parking in a cul-de-sac is a safety hazard.
“There’s not enough room to turn around and back up in a cul-de-sac with that 11.5 metre radius. When the snow equipment needs to come in and remove the snow they can’t get around that vehicle,” says Erin Blaine, a parking enforcement coordinator with the City of Edmonton.
She adds that if you live in a cul-de-sac that’s 15 metres across and all neighbours sign a petition, the Transportation Department will consider angle parking signs. But smaller cul-de-sacs don’t qualify for that option, leaving residents upset.
“17 years of parking the same way including having emergency vehicles here in the past,” said Baller. “Every cul-de-sac parks the same way, it’s what makes sense.”
The alternative – parallel parking – doesn’t make sense to the residents. They argue it would take up a lot more room and doesn’t leave enough space for everyone, especially since in Crowell’s case, his truck is longer than the width of his lot.
“If we have visitors or parties or anything like that, you’d have people parking 3 blocks away if they were to park legally,” said Dawkins.
The residents have complained to Councillor Sohi, who has now asked city administration to produce a report looking at why angle parking is restricted, cul-de-sac parking regulations in other municipalities, and options for public education on this bylaw.
In the meantime, these residents plan on fighting their parking tickets.
With files from Julie Matthews, Global News
Comments