parking

Attn: Arsenal on the Charles

Posted on by grahams

Parking has become a pretty crazy problem here at the Arsenal. Nobody seems to know whether the problem is increased load from the tenants, or from outside pressure (people using the FREE garage then taking the 70 bus to Central, etc), but it is now not uncommon to be unable to find any parking in the complex if you arrive late.

Today, the Arsenal had security officers with clipboards posted at all the garage entrances, making people roll down their windows, asking them “We want to make sure the people using the garage work in the arsenal”, and then waving them through. What, exactly, does this accomplish? Why would it be so hard to distribute parking passes to all the tenants? It can’t be that expensive to print up a few hundred hang tags for employee cars… Instead, you have this security crew assigned to create traffic and test peoples ability to lie. I wasn’t even asked what company I worked for, I was just told “We want to make sure the people parking here work here”. This would be much more frustrating if I didn’t walk or take the bus on most days…

I wrote a letter

Posted on by grahams

I sent this letter to the city transportation department today:

As a pedestrian, it is pretty frustrating that vehicles on Parsons St. in Brighton are allowed to park on the sidewalk on a regular basis. It seems that everyone who parks on this street feels entitled to put one side of their car up on the sidewalk.

Looking at Article IV, Section 1:

“[..] No driver shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle in any of the following
places, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic,
pedestrians[…]

2. Upon any sidewalk.”

Now, I’m sure those who are parking over the curb on the sidewalk are doing so to protect the drivers’ side of their car from sideswipe, but the fact of the matter is that Parsons St. is a very wide street, providing plenty of room for cars parked on both sides and moving traffic. I park my car on a much narrower street which has parking on both sides and nobody feels the need to park on the sidewalk.

I’d appreciate it if the city started enforcing this regulation.