Overnight Street Parking

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
August 26, 2007

Why is overnight street parking so vigorously enforced at Mapletree Apartments (subsidized housing; minorities; low-income residents with no strong voice at the City level) and ignored on streets near the Square? The parking ban should be enforced evenly across the City of Woodstock. If and when a resident calls the police department to request permission to park overnight on the street, the dispatcher should inform the caller that he is expected to park his vehicle in the driveway, if there is room in the driveway. If the driveway is out-of-use due to repairs or full because of other vehicles, a dispatcher can grant permission for on-street parking. What happens now? Drivers "call in" and get permission, even though a driveway is empty. When the beat officer passes such a parked vehicle, if the driveway is empty, he should ticket the car. I myself don't like the overnight parking ban; it is an archaic law. It's not like there are high-speed chases every night or snow in August. If the People want on-street parking, enough of them have to show up at the City Council and get the law changed. Until then? Enforce it.