by Rosanne Graef, Past President – WENA
Today’s Topic: Parking!!!
Just to make things clear from the beginning, this article is not about the larger questions of car ownership and the attendant social and environmental problems that come with that. – I’ll leave that discussion for another time. Instead, let’s talk about the here-and-now parking situation in the West End and how to make it a little less stressful.
Teachers’ parking lot across Brackett St from the school.
Snuggling Up & Other Niceties
Nobody loves a parking-space hog, especially in the winter. Over the past couple of years, many of the “No Parking” signs have been moved further from the intersections to improve visibility. Of course, this resulted in the loss of some parking spaces which makes it more important than ever to be attentive of how you’re positioning your car:
Get in the Zone
Even folks who’ve lived here for years may be unaware of the City of Portland’s Residential Parking Zones. There are three zones that cover much of the West End—Zones 1, 2 and 5. If you visit the City’s web site at http://www.portlandmaine.gov/453/Eligibility, you can get all the details on eligibility, zone maps, applications, perks and rules.
Residents of Portland, who live in designated residential sticker zones, are eligible for a free residential parking sticker for the area in which they live. This sticker, displayed on the vehicles rear windshield, exempts them from time limit restrictions allowing the resident to park in the one- or two-hour time zones on designated streets near their home.
The sticker is not valid for day or night street maintenance restrictions, at parking meters, no parking zones, overnight parking, and during snow bans. Permit holders are still required to comply with all other regulations such as ‘no parking’, ‘no stopping’ and ‘loading zones’.
A zone sticker won’t solve all your parking problems, but it will help out in the area where you live, especially if you don’t have any off-street parking.
Wouldn’t It Be Nice
