Then raise this when at a party in a single-family neighbourhood: “That Parking Spot In Front of Your House Doesn’t Belong to You”
From Seattle’s Citytank:
This makes me wonder sometimes: why is the city in the business of paving and maintaining three lanes of street when only one of them is actually moving cars? In fact, many people in my neighborhood have a driveway or a garage (and zoning requires on-site parking for any new construction) but they still choose to park in the street, presumably so they can use their garage for something else.
Next obvious question: Why should local zoning require on-site parking when hardly any one is using their on-site parking for parking?
Third, and perhaps most interesting question: If we think on-site parking has better uses than parking, could we elect to use our street parking for better uses as well?
Being elected as city councillor from the high-density West End – where getting a parking spot on the same block was considered a minor miracle – I was surprised after picking up the phone in my new office for the first time to receive a complaint from a Kitsilano resident who was upset that someone was continually parking in front of her home. On the street, to be sure, but at the curb in front of her house!
It took me a bit to understand that she felt that her territory had been intruded on, and that the City should take action to remove the squatter.
I can only imagine how she would have responded to some of this writer’s ideas for parklets and bike corrals.
I wonder if it was my neighbour who called you…
My mom was in town visiting once, and parked her rental car in front of my neighbour’s house (on the street). The neighbour left a 3-page note on the windshield berating my mom for having parked there.
As Corb Lund would say, mighty neighbourly…. mighty neighbourly.
I called the City of Vancouver once to see if parking could be limited on one particular corner because the parked cars were limiting visibility for cars turning left and I thought it was challenging intersection. I was told on no uncertain terms that the city would never take parking away in front of a home. I was taken aback by how strongly the city staff member defended parking for someone who had a garage. I told her that the 99 B-Line stops outside of my front door and I don’t have on-street parking!