In efforts to make city roads more safe and accessible, city councilors have adopted alternate-side parking for the entire year.
The ordinance is in effect for only one year so that councilors can revisit the regulation and address concerns before making it a permanent law.
But during the busy summer, this may present a problem for locals and tourists alike. I live near a busy park where it is difficult to find parking when both sides of the street are available.
Without the convenience of off-street parking, I often find myself parked two blocks from my home. The ordinance makes entertaining difficult too, as it is hard to invite friends over for a pool party or summer barbecue when parking is scarce.
It's also difficult to abide by a 6 p.m. curfew. Work and social occasions can cause a car to be left on the wrong side of the road just long enough to get a ticket or to be towed.
It's also irritating to think that if I want to go away for a weekend, I now need to leave my keys with a friend to move my car back and forth every night. It doesn't make sense.
According to the last U.S. census, the home ownership rate was only a little more than 50 percent. With a struggling economy, many homes in Auburn are sublet; limiting off-street parking.
It seems unfair to almost exclusively inconvenience lower income residents, especially during the meager 90 days of sunshine that Central New Yorkers are afforded.
When the sun is shining people should be outside, not cooped up in front of the boob tube, at the risk of sacrificing choice parking.
My suggestion would be to increase the number of months included in the edict.
As a compromise, suppose alternate-side parking would take effect from mid September through mid June, to coincide with the school year.
This would create extra parking for tourists and residents, out and about enjoying the summer.
It would conversely, make roads more trafficable for the majority of the year.
The less desirable alternative would be to designate year round parking on one side of the street.
But with all of the anticipated roadwork still on the horizon, I vote for summer leniency.
Estabrook's column appears Mondays and she can be reached at estabrookcarole@yahoo.com
But during the busy summer, this may present a problem for locals and tourists alike. I live near a busy park where it is difficult to find parking when both sides of the street are available.
Without the convenience of off-street parking, I often find myself parked two blocks from my home. The ordinance makes entertaining difficult too, as it is hard to invite friends over for a pool party or summer barbecue when parking is scarce.
It's also difficult to abide by a 6 p.m. curfew. Work and social occasions can cause a car to be left on the wrong side of the road just long enough to get a ticket or to be towed.
It's also irritating to think that if I want to go away for a weekend, I now need to leave my keys with a friend to move my car back and forth every night. It doesn't make sense.
According to the last U.S. census, the home ownership rate was only a little more than 50 percent. With a struggling economy, many homes in Auburn are sublet; limiting off-street parking.
It seems unfair to almost exclusively inconvenience lower income residents, especially during the meager 90 days of sunshine that Central New Yorkers are afforded.
When the sun is shining people should be outside, not cooped up in front of the boob tube, at the risk of sacrificing choice parking.
My suggestion would be to increase the number of months included in the edict.
As a compromise, suppose alternate-side parking would take effect from mid September through mid June, to coincide with the school year.
This would create extra parking for tourists and residents, out and about enjoying the summer.
It would conversely, make roads more trafficable for the majority of the year.
The less desirable alternative would be to designate year round parking on one side of the street.
But with all of the anticipated roadwork still on the horizon, I vote for summer leniency.
Estabrook's column appears Mondays and she can be reached at estabrookcarole@yahoo.com
