Drivers get spaced out

A resident of the 2600 block of South Hicks Street recently returned from his summer vacation and found he had earned two parking tickets.

He hadn’t noticed before he left that the Parking Authority had installed "No Stopping Any Time" signs around the intersection of 15th Street and Moyamensing and Oregon avenues.

The man explained he was quite accustomed to parking on the block.

"I’ve been parking here for 30 years without any trouble. Now, all of sudden, they put these signs up — and I got two $25 tickets," said the resident, who didn’t want his name in print.

"It doesn’t make any sense," he added. "It’s tough enough to park around here as it is, with most families having three or four cars. Because of these signs, we lost 26 more spots."

However, the move made sense to the Philadelphia Streets Department, whose traffic engineers posted the signs May 28.

The signs were posted in accordance with the Philadelphia Traffic Code as part of the Streets Department’s preventive maintenance schedule.

"The signs were put up to ensure public safety," said Emily Buenaflor, a spokesperson for the Streets Department.

Cars in the area were parked up to the curbline, and also blocked crosswalks, forcing people to walk in the streets — a hazardous proposition, especially considering the significant elderly population in the area, Buenaflour said.

"We were looking at a dangerous situation, especially with the crosswalks being blocked. We found that people were being forced to walk in traffic as a result of the parking situation," she said.

Buenaflour added that no public notification was necessary because the Streets Department was enforcing existing laws against parking on crosswalks and curblines.

The resident with the two tickets said he wondered about the consistency of that enforcement.

"They gave me my tickets early in the morning, around 8:30 a.m. If you come by here in the middle of afternoon, a lot of people park here and don’t get ticketed," he said, sighing. "I mean, what is it? Either you can park here, or you can’t."

Buenaflour maintained the need to keep the area clear of parked cars.

"The signs are up there to keep people safe and from being forced to walk in traffic," she said.