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Take deep breath over street parking

To suggest that pedestrians “have difficulty getting around due to the single lane traffic created by staff parking” is delusional.

Editor, The News:

Re: Street parking, 24 hours a day (Letters, May 11).

I live in the vicinity of 212th Street  and 117th Avenue, a mere block from the hospital and hospice – have for 15-plus years.

To suggest that pedestrians “have difficulty getting around due to the single lane traffic created by staff parking” is delusional.

Keep in mind, I walk these same streets (some without sidewalks), and barring having to exercise road-sense, not once have I encountered first-hand or even witnessed anyone having difficulty getting around.

Quite the opposite, actually. Fact is, often I see groups from the hospital, both workers and patients (including some in wheelchairs) going for a stroll down the street, seemingly enjoying themselves.

This being past Saturday, midday, along 212th Street from River Road to 117th Ave., there are six cars parked by the side of the road (four I recognize as neighbours, two might be hospital staff). On 117th Ave., from Laity Street to Jordan Park, there are eight vehicles (on a four block stretch of double-lane road, or two vehicles per block). Directly across from the hospice, on that small side-street, there were four vehicles parked (on a one block stretch).

Even during the week midday I’m supposed to believe pedestrians and emergency vehicles have difficulty negotiating the streets as I watch five-ton recycling and garbage trucks, my neighbour having a cement truck deliver concrete, the bus service running – all entirely unimpeded.

Where is this 24/7 congestion that is so fierce some can’t even access their own property to do landscaping?   I mean c’mon, now, let’s all take a deep breath.

What I do see is the occasional car coming towards me and, most often, slowing down, allowing me the pedestrian right-of-way.

Barring that, I wait by the side until they pass.

This is entirely manageable, so I don’t see the angst others do.

Parking too close to driveways used to be a problem, but since the municipality, to its credit, has posted ‘do not block driveway’ signs and stepped up enforcement (it’s not uncommon at all to see a ticketed vehicle). It’s not half the problem it used to be, and those that disregard are paying for it.

Taking that a step further, seeing this firsthand daily, the breakdown of people parking on the side streets to avoid parking payment would be 75 per cent hospital/hospice staff and 25 per cent visitors.

Using common sense, in my opinion, staff wouldn’t be the ones blocking driveways on a regular basis, being well aware they’ll be ticketed. These are college-educated people.

Those guilty would be those who don’t know better, the visitors – so blaming staff for this issue seems a fail.

One person’s opinion: while side streets are congested during week days, I don’t see this as an issue in any regard.

Be it hospital staff or a visitor, they’re welcomed to park in front of my house by all means – having encountered many of them, we get along just fine. They’re pleasant people.

The added bonus is they give the impression someone is home when I am not.

Considering how much Impark charges, if I were them, I’d be doing the exact same for the sake of a block or two walk to work.

Being on the opposite end doesn’t bother or impact me in the slightest.

Oddly enough, a few of my neighbours are landscapers without tire marks on their lawn from errant drivers, while having 24/7 access to their properties no problem.

Permit parking is ludicrous. Surely calmer and saner heads will prevail.

Are things so bad that increased government intervention is required?

I’m being told, yes, because the streets are that risky, as if I live on Granville Street, and that some professionally trained firefighter can’t manage to get his truck to my house while a recycling truck routinely does is just inane at best.

Robert Adams

Maple Ridge