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Parking getting crowded in downtown Maple Ridge

Residents who are living in the new condos don’t have enough spaces below the buildings for all their vehicles, so they park on the road.
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Some vehicles are parking too close to the end of residents’ driveways.

As more people pack into the city, parking problems pop up.

On Burnett Street, between Lougheed Highway and Dewdney Trunk Road, two new recent condo buildings have put more cars on to the streets.

That’s OK for resident Dale Hunter, who lives in a house across from the new buildings. But she would like some help from the City of Maple Ridge in easing some of the issues.

“I’m not mad at these people. I’m mad at city hall. It’s their responsibility to fix this problem.”

Hunter said that residents who are living in the new condos don’t have enough spaces below the buildings for all their vehicles, so they park on the road.

Often those vehicles park too close to the end of Hunter’s driveway, making it difficult for her to see down the road.

While signs are posted that tell motorists they can’t park within three metres of a driveway, it still happens.

Hunter would like the city to paint lines on the road indicating where the parking lane ends to protect space in front of driveways. That would make it easier for everyone to figure out where to park.

The issue is ruining relations with her neighbours. Two weeks ago, when she parked her own car on the road, someone put dog excrement into her sunroof. Another neighbour had his car smeared with it.

“I want people to get along really nice. It’s a nice neighbourhood,” she said.

“I shouldn’t have to be afraid.”

She suggests making one side of Burnett Street for cars and the other side for trucks.

The city knows about the parking issues.

“We have done several patrols and issued several tickets,” said Robin McNair, with the city’s bylaw department.

She said it’s up to the city’s engineering department to decide whether to paint lines on the road.

“In our experience, having yellow lines really doesn’t help.”

Roads are public places and anyone can park their vehicle anywhere, she said, providing they follow the parking restrictions posted.