You say you've always parked your car on that dirt strip by the curb in front of your house.
You say your wife always parks at the curb facing the wrong way.
You say your son's car is partly blocking the driveway, but, hey, it's your driveway.
Each one of those infractions would cost you $150 if the city actually enforced the parking laws in your neighborhood.
Guess what? It's starting to do just that.
Parkwise, the city's parking-enforcement arm, has traditionally operated in neighborhoods where residents are affected by overflow parking from Downtown, Fourth Avenue businesses and the University of Arizona — an area bounded by Grant Road, 22nd Street, Grande Avenue and Country Club Road.
Recently it has expanded its area of operation, responding to complaints from as far away as Rita Ranch on the city's far Southeast Side.
People are also reading…
"In the past year, we've had tons of requests for enforcement outside our area. It's an infill thing, a growing pain. Some neighborhoods that have enjoyed 'no enforcement' for years and years were surprised," Parkwise Director Chris Leighton said.
Surprise turned to active resistance in two neighborhoods.
Rose Byrne, president of the Samos Neighborhood just north of East Grant Road between North Campbell and North Mountain avenues, wants Parkwise to stay out of her neighborhood unless it's invited in for a specific reason.
People park on the right of way in her neighborhood, Byrne said, always have. "You park someplace for 30 years and suddenly you get a ticket for $150 — that's not right."
In the Blenman Elm Neighborhood, east of North Campbell Avenue between East Speedway and East Grant Road, residents have long welcomed parking enforcement on streets once overrun by the vehicles of university students, workers and visitors. But east of Tucson Boulevard, where campus commuters are not a problem, residents want traffic agents to go away.
Reaction to parking enforcement has split the neighborhood. For now, Leighton has called a truce on parking sweeps in the two neighborhoods.
Parkwise plans to first educate residents on parking rules, beginning with information on the five most frequently cited parking violations that will be sent out with neighborhood newsletters throughout Tucson in October.
Even with a truce, though, Parkwise agents can't overlook the violations they find when responding to complaints, Leighton said.
On StarNet: Sign up for StarNet's automated traffic alerts, which are customized for your commuter route. Sign up at http://go.azstarnet.com/trafficalerts
● Here are six of the most popular ways to run afoul of city parking laws on unmetered streets (violations between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006):
l Don't display your parking permit where required. Eighteen city neighborhoods have enrolled in a plan to reserve curb space for residents. Fine: $50. Violations: 5,393.
l Face the wrong direction when you park. Fine: $150. Violations: 1,694.
l Park on the street with an expired registration. Fine: $50. Violations: 1,091.
l Block a sidewalk or pedestrian pathway (paved or unpaved). Fine $150. Violations: 413.
l Park in an unpaved sidewalk area even if you don't block pedestrian access. Fine: $50. Violations: 610.
l Block or park within five feet of a driveway (including your own). Fine: $150. Violations: 752.
Source: Parkwise
U of A’s fall enrollment down more than 20%, sources say
