Parking in Charlotte

[davidclt]

(Oh lord, I'm becoming the "off my lawn kids!" guy!)

Why is parking enforcement so spotty? It's amazing the number of people who park:

• in front of hydrants
• too near the stop-sign/intersection
• on the no-parking side of the sign
• on the wrong side of the street (pointing the wrong way)
• too far from the curb,
• lazily, mid-way between two cars leaving enough accumulated space between front and back for another car

The only enforcement I see is in South End (and really just on Camden and occasionally South Blvd).

Also, while we're on Charlotte streets, why is there no periodic and regular street sweeping in Charlotte (like there's periodic and regular trash/recycling collection)? "No parking 2nd Wednesdays for street sweeping. You will be towed (without prejudice)"

[CLT2014]

Street-sweeping programs are revenue producing in many cities....

Chicago makes $15 million off parking tickets and impound fees from towing that offsets the $8.5 million cost of running street sweepers. 

[tarhoosier]

2 hours ago, davidclt said:

(Oh lord, I'm becoming the "off my lawn kids!" guy!)

Why is parking enforcement so spotty? It's amazing the number of people who park:

• in front of hydrants
• too near the stop-sign/intersection
• on the no-parking side of the sign
• on the wrong side of the street (pointing the wrong way)
• too far from the curb,
• lazily, mid-way between two cars leaving enough accumulated space between front and back for another car

The only enforcement I see is in South End (and really just on Camden and occasionally South Blvd).

Also, while we're on Charlotte streets, why is there no periodic and regular street sweeping in Charlotte (like there's periodic and regular trash/recycling collection)? "No parking 2nd Wednesdays for street sweeping. You will be towed (without prejudice)"

In the past if one parked on third street alongside the government buildings the limit was until 4 p. m. and the tow trucks were in line to take cars at the stroke of 4. One need not ask me how I know. Is this still true?

[MothBeast]

I may have seen the flamboyant car of a certain professional basketball player get towed on third a little before 5 last week

[nakers2]

On 3/3/2022 at 1:32 PM, tarhoosier said:

In the past if one parked on third street alongside the government buildings the limit was until 4 p. m. and the tow trucks were in line to take cars at the stroke of 4. One need not ask me how I know. Is this still true?

My dad got towed there years ago before mobile payment was a thing, had to ride up front with the guy back to Eastway Wrecker with his car hooked on the back. Must've been awkward. 

[nakers2]

On 3/3/2022 at 11:13 AM, davidclt said:

(Oh lord, I'm becoming the "off my lawn kids!" guy!)

Why is parking enforcement so spotty? It's amazing the number of people who park:

• in front of hydrants
• too near the stop-sign/intersection
• on the no-parking side of the sign
• on the wrong side of the street (pointing the wrong way)
• too far from the curb,
• lazily, mid-way between two cars leaving enough accumulated space between front and back for another car

The only enforcement I see is in South End (and really just on Camden and occasionally South Blvd).

Also, while we're on Charlotte streets, why is there no periodic and regular street sweeping in Charlotte (like there's periodic and regular trash/recycling collection)? "No parking 2nd Wednesdays for street sweeping. You will be towed (without prejudice)"

Outside of busy areas, a lot of streets don't have any "designated" parking. It's generally implied that if it fits, it sits. I do think there needs to be a hotline to report egregious violations, but having parking enforcement running down every side street leaves Uptown as a free for all. As a revenue generator, might make some extra money. but in terms of overall traffic reduction, and capacity expansion, I think a bit of chaos is actually good, and a deterrent. I've avoided driving to my brother's apartment a few times on weekends due to lack of parking (no visitor spaces, even he has to street park sometimes)

[tarhoosier]

I lived close enough to walk/run home, grab other car and drive to dead end of Berryhill Road, south of Wilkinson to tow yard. I think yard is no longer there. My car was dropping from the truck as I arrived. No mercy from the tow master office.

Other trucks were doing the same on that afternoon. I wondered then as now how tow trucks lift cars without disturbing theft alarms. I suppose they can jimmy locks to enter and put in neutral (?) but other anti theft mechanisms, I dunno. I could research it but not worth it to me. Lesson learned.

Edited March 4, 2022 by tarhoosier

[nakers2]

3 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

I lived close enough to walk/run home, grab other car and drive to dead end of Berryhill Road, south of Wilkinson to tow yard. I think yard is no longer there. My car was dropping from the truck as I arrived. No mercy from the tow master office.

Other trucks were doing the same on that afternoon. I wondered then as now how tow trucks lift cars without disturbing theft alarms. I suppose they can jimmy locks to enter and put in neutral (?) but other anti theft mechanisms, I dunno. I could research it but not worth it to me. Lesson learned.

My brother got nailed on College Street in 2020, during the beginning of the pandemic office closures. Still enforced the rush hour lanes though. He thought his car was stolen. Unlike me, he has a more cavalier attitude towards parking. I've only been ticketed twice, once was me parking in a Zipcar spot that had just been installed, and the other was when my wheel was touching the line on a front spot, that one annoyed me, but technically was valid. 

[davidclt]

2 hours ago, nakers2 said:

Outside of busy areas, a lot of streets don't have any "designated" parking. It's generally implied that if it fits, it sits. I do think there needs to be a hotline to report egregious violations, but having parking enforcement running down every side street leaves Uptown as a free for all. As a revenue generator, might make some extra money. but in terms of overall traffic reduction, and capacity expansion, I think a bit of chaos is actually good, and a deterrent. I've avoided driving to my brother's apartment a few times on weekends due to lack of parking (no visitor spaces, even he has to street park sometimes)

I'm in a busy area where there is designated (signed) parking. I like the big city feel, I just wish city people and less-city people would realize what means to parallel park in a densifying part of the city where parking is increasingly at a premium. I know some neighbors are starting to make noise about permit parking in the area. Not sure it's merited . . .  yet. But I think the day is coming.

Chaos is fine, it's not chaos I mind, it's a lack of awareness and consideration (and/or an inability to parallel park or be considerate when parking) and most of what I cited are safety issues (as an avid pedestrian too - fire hydrant blocked, parking the wrong way, parking too close to intersections).

And to further add (anecdotally) in the past two weeks: I've seen someone almost hit pulling out from the wrong side of the road parking (x2), I've been inconvenienced (x2) by people taking two spaces, because of lack of visibility because someone was too close to the intersection I've almost been hit.

Edited March 4, 2022 by davidclt

[CLT>]

They still tow very promptly uptown. I saw someone being loaded up on Church yesterday at 4:02pm Will be interesting to see if the 'no parking from 4-6' restrictions get lifted since we don't have uptown gridlock at 5pm due to people being more spread out in the office.

[nakers2]

25 minutes ago, CLT> said:

They still tow very promptly uptown. I saw someone being loaded up on Church yesterday at 4:02pm Will be interesting to see if the 'no parking from 4-6' restrictions get lifted since we don't have uptown gridlock at 5pm due to people being more spread out in the office.

Living uptown I can say that it seems like Charlotte's population came back out of the woodwork as soon as the weather got warm. I paid for parking in NODA for the first time ever last week. 

Edited April 15, 2022 by nakers2
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