Maple Ridge is considering parking permits for residential areas where streets are cluttering with vehicles owned by visitors.
Neighbourhoods being looked at are near Ridge Meadows Hospital and the Port Haney West Coast Express station, as well as Albion.
The latter is different in that residents in the small-lot subdivisions don’t all use the pads and garages provided off the back lanes or own multiple vehicles and park on the narrow streets.
The problem around the hospital is simple: visitors park on neighbouring streets to avoid paying for provided lot spaces.
And apparently the train station is pretty popular with commuters, who have to get there somehow and don’t have to pay for parking around Port Haney.
Taxpayers can get cranky when they can’t park in front of their own homes, which generates complaints to the busy bylaws department.
So the municipality is crafting a policy that could create resident-only parking in those areas. Those who live there would get permits or decals for their vehicles.
It’s not clear if they would have to pay for them, though.
Nor has enforcement been determined.
Ticketing those who don’t comply would create more work for bylaws, and hiring a private company for that would increase costs.
An honour system would solve nothing, as people already ignore signs.
A permit system could work, and is worth exploring.
However, homeowners don’t own the streets.
Every home is provided with sufficient parking space on its lot. If owners choose not to use that space for its intended purpose, or don’t have enough space for their excesses, why not make them pay to park on the streets?
Let’s not go there. Who cares if someone parks in front of your house?
– Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News
