Saturday, August 08, 2015

Sidewalk parking impunity?

Of course, another question to ask is why this stretch of sidewalk is in such a state of wretched disrepair, but let's begin elsewhere.

Way back in 2012, we explained the sheer wonderment of Doug England's non-enforcement regime as it pertains to downtown parking.

ON THE AVENUES: Can’t stuff ‘em in a burlap sack, either.

 ... During the epochal third England Administration, which ingloriously perished when the Democratic executive’s hand-picked Republican successor was crushed prior to his suffering a humiliating council race loss to a comparative non-entity, the mayor took precious time away from his lifelong hobby of dispensing politically-motivated favors with other people’s money to heroically sidestep any involvement with downtown parking issues. Hizzonner simply decreed that downtown parking rules would not be enforced ...

Concurrently, we know that a city ordinance forbids parking in certain places. We just don't know exactly where this ordinance is being enforced.

"No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle in any of the following places."


(A) (1) No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle in any of the following places:

(a) On a sidewalk;
(b) In front of, or otherwise blocking access to, a public or private drive;
(c) Within an intersection;
(d) Within ten feet of a fire hydrant;
(e) On a crosswalk;
(f) On a tree lawn, the space between the street curb and the sidewalk; and
(g) Front yard, side yard, rear yard or courtyard other than a designated driveway.

Consequently, given that the cars pictured above on 3rd Street between Main and market are parked on the sidewalk just about every day, we must reasonably conclude that the ordinance prohibiting parking on the sidewalk is among those not being enforced since England decreed lawbreaking to be not only tolerable, but municipal government's solemn duty -- something Jeff Gahan has chosen to observe, too.

Therefore, if there is in fact a parking problem in downtown New Albany, isn't the clearest way to resolve it, and the one already sanctioned by City Hall, to allow people to double park their cars on sidewalks to their heart's content? In fact, on the Market Street sidewalk opposite the Copier Mart's front door, there probably is room for two rows of cars on the sidewalk and one on the street.

In the absence of enforcement, what's to stop anyone from doing so?

Because, as you can see, they already are.

1 comment:

SBAvanti63 said...

You can, however, get a ticket for parking on the street with your car facing the "wrong" direction. I parked with my car facing west on the side of the street going east. BAM! $10 fine.