Carol writes:
Wallyhood resident calls out the cops because doesn’t like car parked in front of house!!!!
On Wed. Sept. 14, while volunteering at the market, i was parked legally on the street behind the market (2201 46th – 46th and Bagley)…
when i returned to my car, i found a ticket for the amount of $42. posted on my windshield…. when i called the next day, I was told that the neighbor had called out the police because i was not parked “5 feet from the driveway”…. I have never heard of this 5 feet law, but was certainly parked 3-4 feet away from the driveway, as is usual in Seattle….
Obviously, i was not obstructing the driveway, or i would have been towed, instead of getting the ticket…..
And if you’ve been caught speeding, then you should consider getting help from this traffic ticket lawyer Dallas.
I think this is obviously a mean-spirited gesture and a sign of hostility toward the farmers’ market, as there has been much more congestion due to people coming and going, etc….
However, home owners do not have any right to control the public streets – no one owns the street in front of their property!!!
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of this particular complaint in the same area. A few months back, another friend of ours said they spoke to the policeman who responded and he implored the homeowner to get some spraypaint and mark the street, because it wasn’t in the city’s interest to be sending squad cars around for such trivial infractions, but they were required to respond.
While we can’t support her prodigious use of exclamation points and ellipses, we’re with Carol on this issue: to whoever called this in, calling the police because someone is parked closer than you’d like to your driveway (but not blocking it) is just small and mean. It’s a city, we all have to live close together. Don’t take out your frustration at life on your neighbors. It must suck to go through life so angry.
(Photo by alicegop)
That is absurd. If people can’t handle living in a city, then they should move. In Wallingford, we are spoiled to have small neighborhood environment, but we still live in a big city with lots of people and very limited parking. If no one is blocking your driveway or messing with your property, let it go!
This brings up another parking question: A homeowner near 47th and Meridian left a printed notice on my windshield once about the legalities of parking longer than 72 hours in one place… the 72-Hour On-Street Parking Ordinance. Apparently, we can’t park our cars for that long without moving them. Luckily, my car was not ticketed or towed, and I learned my lesson. I’m assuming most people in Wallingford already knew this law, so what do you do with your vehicles if you are on vacation or are away for over 72 hours?
Indeed “no one owns the street in front of their property,” and imagine the revenue this city could raise if all urban neighborhoods had on-street Restricted Parking Zones. $25 for an annual sticker… Oh the bike paths we could build!
“While we can’t support her prodigious use of exclamation points and ellipses,…”
Ha!
Maybe the city should cite people for this and for calling the cops on their neighbors. Imagine the revenue stream!
I don’t have a car, but my friends who do usually leave the car in the care of someone else when they go away for a few days.
5 feet on either side of a driveway is ridiculous. there is no reason for that amount of space. Perhaps work to change the law?
You can’t park right up next to a driveway otherwise the resident loses their turning radius. They can pull out, but they can’t turn onto the street. Basically all I can see here is someone bitching and whining that they got a ticket for breaking the law. Sorry, but YOU screwed up. You are not the victim here no matter how much you want to be.
Depending upon the street, the 5 feet rule may not be a bad thing. In order for me to get to my garage, I have to access an alleyway. When cars are parked <4 feet from the curb, it makes it difficult to make the turn into the alleyway, and also makes it nearly impossible to see cars coming when leaving the alleyway. I also drive a hand-me-down car that is boat-like and one your grandma would be proud to drive. This reality also makes the turns tighter when there isn't enough room at curbside. All-in-all, I just deal with the situation, but I can also understand why there is such a law.
Thank you Spencer! I have called to have a car ticketed because I can’t get out of my driveway. It may seem trivial and mean until you are stuck in your driveway. By the way, parking enforcement is out in full force in Wallingford. I have seen them ticketing for blocking driveways and parking on the planting strip. Be warned.
Although this wasn’t my driveway it’s good to see this enforced. We have the same problem with people parking illegally in front of our driveway. If cars are parked up against both sides of my driveway, I’m not able to get out because the radius is to small. That 5 foot space is needed in order to make that turn in or out of the driveway. We have spent a good amount of money to create more off street parking so we don’t have to deal with trying to find a place to park, or having to put up with the Jack Wagons who play bumper cars while parallel parking. So instead of getting nasty and self righteous, try looking at it from the other persons position.
Carol, obviously you were NOT parked legally. Note that the 5ft law starts at the beginning of the radius of the driveway. As a side note, if parking continues to be an issue at the Farmers Market, opponents of the market will use that against keeping the market in the park. So lets cut the attitude and start making the right decisions.
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/drivewaymarking.htm
The 72 hour parking law is also another one of the questions on the driving test for a Washington State drivers license.
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/parking72hour.htm
Steve
My car is frequently parked (in front of my house) for more than 72 hours because I just don’t drive it that much. It has never been ticketed or towed, and I think that’s another one that wouldn’t be enforced unless a neighbor called it in. It’s usually used to incite junker cars not to lurk in a neighborhood. Neighbors who really need the 5 feet of visibility or turning radius really could do us a favor by painting a line. 5 feet can be a little hard to judge without lying down in the gutter.
Furthermore, your argument about it being a waste of police resources is pure BS. They don’t send “squad cars”, they send parking enforcement aka metermaids. The “big city” argument is pretty weak also. If you think seattle is a “big city” with “very limited parking” then you’ve obviously never been to a big city with very limited parking. Capital Hill is getting there, but Wallingford certainly is nowhere close. There is still PLENTY of legal considerate parking available here if people are just willing to drive their lazy ass another block or two away from 45th. It’s just laziness that many of us are not willing to tolerate. We’re not anti-farmers’ market. This isn’t an attack on the farmers’ market. I just can’t stand the lazy inconsiderate visitors to our neighborhood who can’t walk their lazy ass an extra block so that they can park in a way that’s considerate to the residents here.
I was towed for this action in the same spot!!! It was a busy Saturday evening last fall, neighbors out everywhere, celebrating football and the changing seasons. I parked around 7:00 pm.
@Spencer….. they DO send squad cars, because the family that is calling, is calling 911, not parking enforcement, and the officers were obligated to come to calls made. (which to the Officer, I scoffed, since I’ve known of many people who have made 911 calls for serious issues that they DONT respond to…)
The Officer I spoke to (on the scene) that day when I couldn’t find my car because it had been towed — was livid at these people, because they had called on 5 separate occasions in two days. 5 feet of clearance is ridiculous. Spencer I think we all know why there is a length limit, but I think that if a household is hard-up to maintain that and not realize there are many people trying to park in this neighborhood, then they should paint their curb. I was literally parked 4 feet from their entrance, (I check these things, because I’m not a “lazy-ass”) because I parked behind another car. It is spiteful, and I’d still love to talk to these people about this. My point was so valid that the City dropped my parking ticket.
Nosy, self-righteous, and/or mean vs. diligent, responsible and/or alert: a neighborhood quandary.
A really nice but owner-unknown car has been parked across the street from our place for almost two weeks. We have not called the police yet as we thought perhaps one of our many neighbors was hosting guests and maybe their guest had accompanied them on a trip. Or, maybe somebody was using our street to avoid parking fares while they used the bus or the boat or the plane. All pretty much ok by us.
But the days go by and our neighbors come and go about their business, our immediate neighbors know nothing about the vehicle and no one shows up with their suitcases or their backpack or their sailor cap and the car remains. So we are thinking that somebody somewhere is wondering what the heck happened to their car. Today we will call it in. Like some of you, we are pretty reluctant to cross that “call the cops” line until we feel really concerned.
Sorry, but it’s not our duty to go out and buy paint because you can’t use good judgement.
If I see a car that doesn’t move for a week or so (and I don’t recognize it as belonging to one of the neighbors) I’ll report it online. My experience has been that there’s a good chance the car has been stolen.
Spencer is right on this. There is no excuse for violating the law. The law exists to make sure that residents can make safe turns in and out of driveways. There are also distance laws about parking near fire hydrants and intersections–for obvious safety reasons. If you’re in doubt about a particular space, just park somewhere else.
If this is repeatedly a problem for this homeowner, they absolutely should mark their driveway. Trying to train each and every person who parks within 5 feet of their driveway by calling for a ticket is a losing cause. If they truly cannot exit their driveway when a car is parked closer than 5 feet, this will help save them from plenty of headaches in the future.
We have this as a recurring issue on our street as well. Yes 5 ft is excessive, but anything under 2 ft means that you, as the homeowner, are often screwed and unable to pull out of, or into, your driveway. There have been many many times when cars have parked directly to the edge line of the driveway on either side. Am I supposed to just shrug my shoulders and say “oh well thats just big-city living”? As Spencer—and others—state, its called being responsible for your actions and having consideration for your neighbors. Obviously the people who say “get over it”, have never dealt with this annoying problem on a regular basis at their own houses.
Wow… Spencer calls people “lazy-ass” but would prefer to call the cops everytime someone parks too close instead of going out and buying paint once.
a) Drivers (and parkers) are responsible for knowing the applicable laws. If the 5 foot law seems excessive and unnecessary, CHANGE it, don’t just think it can be ignored.
b) I have called in cars for violating this law — not breaking out the yardstick and measuring, but looking at the case where the parking job clearly did not give a rat’s @$$ about the person in the driveway. It makes me mad that I cannot pull my car out in the AM without nearly hitting bicyclists on the street (yeah, a van or SUV parked on the edge of your driveway limits visibility…)
c) 5 feet IS extreme, and if you wanted to be a douche, you could become the best friend of the City (in revenue generation) and make a ton of calls every day. I have better things to do (yet here I sit arguing this point…).
d) It’s a non-emergency line. It’s not 9-11. IF you call 911, you are ignorant as to how the city police work, and deserve to be tongue-lashed.
e) Nah, I am not going to paint. Learn the laws, respect the property owners, and freakin WALK to the farmer’s market, for God’s sake.
I usually let it slide if it’s a foot or 2 within the 5 foot rule. But I’ve had some people BLATANTLY halfway, even fully blocking my driveway. They’re not blind, right? So do they just not care about my property rights and blocking my drive, or are they just stupid? I really don’t care what their reason is, it’s not my problem until you make it mine.
So now what I do is leave a note on their windshield informing them of the 5 foot law, and also informing them that next time I’ll call a tow truck. And then I RECORD THEIR LICENSE PLATE NUMBER. You get ONE CHANCE, because we all don’t think clearly on occasion. I think that’s being very fair. Any more after that, I tow your ass, and happily ruin your day.
We live on a one way street with parking on one side only and parking is sometimes scarce for all of us (especially in winter and on rainy nights when you’ve got several bags of groceries to lug home!). It sucks when people don’t park efficiently, like leaving four feet of space between cars or parking 5-6 feet from the end of someone’s driveway which effectively causes a potential loss of up to 10 parking spaces on just one block! Five feet is excessive and I’m certainly sympathetic to homeowners who have parking on both sides of the street to contend with when attempting to enter their driveways, but with only one side of parking on our street, there is generally enough room to get in your driveway even if someone is parked right up next to it. Our street’s pretty mellow about it, but we all do call on unknown vehicles that are on our street longer than 72 hours. Several of those cars were stolen, a few had people living in them (once it was a huge bus!) and two actually belonged to vacationers from other neighborhoods who thought it was a good idea to leave their cars on a safe street! And, yes, squad cars do get dispatched to some of these calls; it isn’t always the meter people. If someone is clearly blocking your driveway, get ’em towed, but if you can manage with a little less clearance than five ridiculous feet, you are golden!
I have the same problem on my street. It is the city, so you do chill when strangers take the space in front of your house. My street is basically one lane with all the parked cars. It reminds me of driving in Europe….however….please, give us a little room to get in and out of our driveways. I thought the law was 3 feet, the point is we need a little room to get out. It is very inconsiderate of people to park and not think about this! It’s just inconsiderate. Don’t get me going on crosswalks!
Oh my. And I thought I was the only one with a grumpy neighbor. I got ticketed and towed for parking within 5 feet of a driveway cut that does not lead to a driveway. It creates a lot of frustration. If a resident has a problem with a car that is close to their driveway and they use the driveway, could they just leave a note with a name and contact info rather than calling parking enforcement? Likewise for the 72 hour infraction. If a car is blocking a driveway that gets used, then the resident is justified to call parking enforcement.
Sorry but the streets are not ruled by the homeowner so the city set the rule for them. It is 5 feet and being a homeowner in Wallingford with a driveway and garage I think the law is very reasonable. Have you considered the fact that when someone is parked very close to your driveway and there are cars parked directly across the street as well, how difficult it is to back out of your driveway! We experience it often! We’ve even had trouble getting into our driveway. I’m wondering where you live?
Living on n 40th we are one of the few with a shared driveway. When cars,especially trucks and mini vans park right up to the edge of our driveway, we take our lives in our hands trying to get out because we just plain can’t see up or down the street. If we do slip out we get honked at and given the international salute for slowing down a person going 50 in a 30mph area. When we have guests we stand out in the street until they have left so they don’t get hit.
This is a five minute diatribe on a two hour subject.
Who has time to call the police for something like that. And who thinks that is something the police should be doing.
My neighbors park right up to the driveway in front of my house and you know what? I don’t do anything. Because it really doesnt inconvenience me at all – maybe its a tight squeeze getting out, but I can get out. And it certainly isn’t worth causing any heartache to anyone over. I can’t imagine having time to care enough to call the police about something like that. Thank goodness none of the parking gestapo live on my street. I bet they suck as neighbors. They are probably the same ones who would watch you struggle with a car seat, kid, and 3 bags of groceries and not offer to help.
I’m with @20 on this one. No place in Wallingford is more than 2 miles from the Farmers market. Why is a resident of the neighborhood driving there?
Mike @24, you should challenge that because as we heard from a parking enforcement officer, a driveway cut that doesn’t lead to anything isn’t considered a driveway. It has to lead to a garage, otherwise it’s just a depression in the city-owned parking strip. Your neighbor’s being a jerk. As I was, when some dopey woman parked our driveway in a few days ago and I called the tow truck. She got back in time, lucky her.
Also, I thought it was 3 feet, not five.
Five feet is not excessive on streets with parking on both sides of the street. You really need the room to get in and out of your driveway. To the person who suggested paint, get real. I have people parking with 2 feet of there cars in my driveway cut. People parking across my driveway. I even had one jack-ass park in my driveway. You complain about us not being considerate? Painting a yellow strip is not going to have any effect on most of these folks.
To the lady who started this, consider it a cheap lesson in learning some consideration for someone you don’t know. You could have been towed.
I wholeheartedly support the parking law. We have this problem frequently. I have tried to be considerate and leave a note for people parking close to my driveway (by this I mean within 2 feet and often hanging over the edge of where the curb turns in to the driveway). If I don’t need to get out of my house in the evening, I will even just leave a note for cars that park completely across my driveway and give them time to remove it rather than have them towed. But, at some point, people need to be more responsible for following the laws and respecting the fact that homeowners do need to sometimes get out of their driveways.
I have seen people who painted the curb around the driveway, but only 2-3 feet. So apparently they can manage a smaller clearance. And the paint does work–not with everyone (some jerks, as mentioned, will park right across the driveway), but it works for lots of people. It cuts down close parking and does help the many people who do care judge appropriate distance.
Meanwhile, I was ticketed for parking too close to my own driveway, because I called in someone who was actively blocking it. Five feet? Who knew? We never had trouble getting the other car out when parking close.
In reading these the comments, I marvel how the private automobile has enhanced living in the citY.
I find it interesting that whenever someone writes about parking there are always two sides….The “who cares, it’s a city and you don’t own the street, we’ll do what we want, I didn’t do anything wrong” side and the “let’s be considerate and leave space for cars to get out and don’t block driveways, corners, traffic circles, wheelchair ramps, sidewalks, etc. and walk and extra block or two” folks. It’s obvious from the response which side folks fall on. Because we’re a city doesn’t mean common courtesy is thrown out. Think ahead a little about your neighbor and the impact on the neighborhood you are VISITING.
I’m amazed an SPD officer made it out. It frequently takes hours for response to something small like this. Seattle has lots of other crimes requiring more immediate attention. In my experience the officers are just as annoyed at the folks who break the law and block a driveway by several feet. Bad decisions cost everyone money…. The drivers are actually causing the problem, not the homeowner who is trying to keep their drive clear.
We’ve lived here for 25 years. Over that time, we have called in cars for blocking our driveway, starting when I was pregnant, our drive was completely blocked and I was afraid we wouldn’t get out if I went into labor. Call it hormones, but it seemed a good reason to clear our drive.
Anyone who lives on a busy street is used to folks parking in front of their house, parking too close to the driveway making it very difficult to pull out. But blocking the driveway or parking so close it’s impossible to get out is unacceptable and against the law. Those of us who’ve had to deal with it get a bit tired of coming home from the store and being unable to pull into our driveway or going out to leave for dinner and having to make a 10 point backup turn to get out of your driveway understand the complaint, or not being able to get in or out AT ALL. It has happened more times than I can count. Really.
Painting a strip on the curb has helped a bit. BUT, there are always folks who don’t think driveways and/or painted curbs apply to them. So, the issue will go on. And on. Until people start to think about something other than themselves.
Carol – I also meant to address the comment about “obviously I wasn’t blocking the driveway because I wasn’t towed”. Not necessarily true. There have been times when we’ve been asked to make the call when meter folks/police have come out-Ticket only or ticket and tow. I guess if you are blocked but can get out by driving over the curb and up onto your lawn, you can choose? Don’t really know for sure but I know we’ve had the option. So, maybe the homeowners were nice and didn’t get you towed. We’ve chosen to ticket only except when our drivewaay has been blocked. Other times, we’ve had no input. 25 years is a long time and even one call a year adds up. We aren’t parking Nazi types, just feel like we should be able to access our driveway.
All those years, lots of police stories. Next time I’ll tell you about the guys in the rental throwing bricks from their chimney onto Stone Way.
Wow the number of comments is high!!!
I’ll just add this one more…
And let me take the contrarian point of view…
Viva exclamation points!!! (and, of course, the ellipse…)
I’m wondering why people say in the Comments sections of posts re: crime that SPD sometimes fails to show up after smash & grabs (cars)… but they do show up for parking violations because they have to if you call 911? Either we’re getting mixed messages, or something inconsistent is happening around here.
tickets=revenue generation.
feed the beast.
Is this a record for Wallyhood comments?
Not yet, Ryan. There were 66 for this post about the Farmers Market: http://www.wallyhood.org/2010/08/farmers-market-flummoxed/
And 81 on this article about the SHARE shelter. http://www.wallyhood.org/2010/09/community-engagement-shelter-draft/
Not sure if these are the record-holders, tho. Just posts I remembered a lot of Comments about.
Per SPD website, you are to call 911 outside of normal business hours M-F 8:00-5:00 for parking enforcement.
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Steve
I thought the 5 foot rule was related to the fact that fire/ambulance vehicles may need to access a driveway in an emergency.
There also is a law that no one can park within 20 feet of a crosswalk (including unmarked crosswalks) which is rarely enforced it seems. That also is so emergency vehicles can make it around corners, etc.
buy some spray paint!
Maybe police should bring it along and paint the 5 feet along the curbs when they show up for these calls. They might not have to come back to that driveway to ticket another car if they did. I thought I was being sarcastic when I thought about cops bringing paint, but it actually would probably solve a lot of this problem and give cops a little more time to do more useful work.
Ahh, Wallingford, where someone complaining about their $42 parking ticket makes the “news” and somehow warrants the largest response from the community in months.
I’m really torn about this. Yes, it makes sense to allow people to get out of their driveway. However, I wager most of us actually have driveway situations that allow more slack. If I have two feet on either side of mine, it’s more than enough, and often that’s what I get.
Realistically, here are your options:
1)Hope that most people are aware of the 5 foot rule. Understand that this is unlikely, and have to call the cops every time someone breaks this rule. This method results in the most frequent occurrences of someone blocking you,.
2) Paint your curb. This solution is cheap, and quick. You have a right to do it, so why not exercise your right? This solution results in more people knowing your wishes, and therefore you aren’t blocked nearly so often.
3) Put up a sign with the relevant information. This solution is obnoxious and fills our world with more “don’t” signs. But, it is an option.
4) Don’t park in your driveway. Again, an option, but not a great one.
Seriously, why not choose the cheap, easy, friendly option, and paint your curb? If it is really a problem for you, I bet one of your friendly neighbors will help you out, if you ask nicely 🙂
Jeeez, you people with your “driveways” and your “garages.” So damn territorial. People up here in my ‘hood, we try not to totally block the driveways or ALLEYWAYS, which are the bigger problem, and those few, the proud, the rich, who have those driveways, they don’t get their knickers in a knot if it takes them 22 seconds to get out rather than the zoomier 10 seconds.
Gad, you people.
It is fine if you choose not to object to folks parking too close to your drive. It is also fair game for someone who has had problems with repeat offenders to call it in. Responsibility for the infraction, however, lies squarely with the person who parked their car too close. It may be just one time for the offender, but the person affected may have to deal with infractions many times a day.
It is my understanding that a car cannot be towed until it has been verified that it has not been moved for 72 hours. This usually takes the form of a sticker placed on the car warning that the car will be towed if it is not moved within 72 hours. Seems like fair warning.
Note that the curbs are property of SDOT. Be discrete when painting because that, too, is not legal.
I have an issue with folks parking too close to, or in front of, street crossings. This is extremely dangerous, especially at our parks where kids are tough to see already. Yet it is a regular occurrence for soccer moms to park their cars IN THE MIDDLE OF the sidewalk crossing to the park, blocking one access point and screening the adjacent crosswalk from view of drivers. Pass the word… DO NOT PARK BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK ACCESS, especially to our parks.
Keep our kids safe!!!
@ Marley’s Ghost,
Actually, painting the curb next to your driveway is legal. See this link http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/drivewaymarking.htm (ref. post #9)
From what I’ve seen, even the driveways in the area that are painted very few people pay attention to anyway.
One of the things this thread has shown me, is what great neighbors we have. I just can’t imagine any of our neighbors being so inconsiderate as so many I’m hearing from. The problems we’ve had are generally from visitors of transient neighbors.
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Steve
Dee, the sides aren’t necessarily “It’s a big city” or “Considerate.” There is some neighborly philosophic truth to some “it’s a big city, parking is tight” thoughts. Such as: “It’s a big city, you can’t be guaranteed a spot in front of your house, so please don’t have a fit if someone parked in ‘your’ spot (fully away from crossings, drives, hydrants, etc.)” or “It’s a big city, please don’t ask for zoned parking because an amenity that was here when you moved here makes it difficult for you to park right in front of your house–some of your neighbors don’t want to pay for the privilege of parking on their block.”
Why is this concept so hard for some to understand? It’s part of the Seattle Municipal Code, so you have to abide by it. You don’t get to pick and choose which rules/laws should apply to you or not. Here’s a tip for all you naysayers: Don’t impede or block someone’s driveway and you won’t get a ticket. That way, you won’t be pissed off and your fellow Wallingford residents, who own driveways, won’t think you’re an a-hole. Problem solved.
It’s not a question of legality, it’s a matter of civility. It’s not legal to park within 5 feet of a driveway for all of the, very valid, reasons stated above. The civil, kind-neighborly thing to do is to talk reasonably to your neighbor about it before calling the police.
Exactly, Lauren. As someone who lives about halfway between the post office and the Wurst Festival, I frequently find cars parked right up against my driveway. I wouldn’t call the police unless I couldn’t get in or out, and I generally don’t recognize the car that’s parked there. I usually just leave a note asking people not to park so close, because it makes it really hard to get in/out. Don’t believe I’ve ever had the same car parked there twice.
Fruitbat – I don’t think I mentioned anything about neighbors or owning space on the street. You’re off on your own issues …. As stated ” Anyone who lives on a busy street is used to folks parking in front of their house, parking too close to the driveway making it very difficult to pull out. But blocking the driveway or parking so close it’s impossible to get out is unacceptable and against the law”.
So, the homeowner is supposed to be civil and considerate in dealing with the problem by not reporting the incident, but the driver of the car who causes the problem doesn’t have to be civil and considerate when parking their car. That makes sense.
I used to leave notes, and make an effort to ask people to park properly. Eventually I mounted a sign stating “No Parking Over Driveway”. The PEOs just shook their heads when they either wrote the ticket and/or waited for the impound (the police decide who to tow). Out of the many unable to understand that sign, one guy who ended up van-less threatened us, evidently understanding parking enforecement is done on a complaint basis. Others ran over the signpost.
Our neighbor from CA (love ’em, they got WA plates!) can’t fiigure out how to park 15′ from a fire hydrant, and idiots regularly park both within 5′ of our d/w AND within 30′ of posted stop sign, as well as facing the wrong way. That impacts sight distance for drivers turning onto an arterial. And don’t get me going about the construction worker parking. Yes, there are valid physical and public safety reasons for the laws and municipal codes. As @Kravitz alludes, I’ll be civil and considerate to those who act that way.
@Mike (post 24) and @j (post 29): Check the code: no parking within five feet of the top of the curb cut. (Most driveways have a 2-1/2 foot wing each side of the driveway, where the top of the curb transitions down to the gutterline, and the five-foot is NOT measured from the bottom of the gutter line or throat.) Code doesn’t say anything above ‘live’ or ‘dead’ cuts. A curb cut doesn’t have to lead to a garage, or anything, for parking ordinance to be enforced.
The city required one on-site parking space for a legal duplex, which was the driveway to the house. Must look like a walkway to drivers cruising for a spot during 4th of July ‘cuz they tried parking so many times I borrowed a road cone to block it off (and some tried to move the cone and park anyway).
@56 (and yes, I’m probably going to be the threadkiller here and no, I can’t believe I dug for this, but I wanted to make sure I’d been told the right thing), SMC 23.54.030 F.6
6. Replacement of unused curb cuts. When a curb cut is no longer needed to
provide access to a lot, the curb and any planting strip must be replaced.
Ok, I hope this is it and you’re all enjoying this pretty day!
Gee, I thought it was the ladybug painters who made this neighborhood a selfish, nasty place to live. Turns out they are joined by car owners parking everywhere. Can’t decide which I should do first: sell the car or move away from this petty, provincial place?
Well, today the city came out and towed the nice but owner-unknown abandoned car away on our street. Reported it last Tuesday as promised earlier on this thread, city came out Wed and placed a ticket on the car, came again yesterday and found the car still there, unmolested but unmoved, and today sent the towers. I wonder how long it would have remained had this post not happened and motivated us to call it in…the mystery remains, whose car was it and why was it left there for over three weeks?
@55: FWIW, my understanding of Seattle PD’s position is that it isn’t ‘facing the wrong way’ unless it’s a two-lane street – and many residential streets don’t qualify as such.
It definitely threw me for a loop when I first moved here and saw this local parking, uh, convention. I don’t usually do it myself, but I’ve been known to when I’m in a hurry…
@54. I don’t believe that parking within 5 feet is uncivil nor inconsiderate. Blocking the driveway is another matter.
Link to the following:
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/parkingcurb.htm
Curb Use Priorities in Seattle
Curb space is part of the public street system, and as such it is a public good that is available for all people to use. The Seattle Department of Transportation regulates the use of curb space to address competing needs, to assist in moving people and goods more efficiently, to support the vitality of business districts, and to create liveable neighborhoods. The Department prioritizes the uses for curb space as follows (click here for definitions of common parking terminology).
In residential areas the priorities for curb space use are:
transit use (bus stops and spaces for bus layover),
passenger and commercial vehicle loading zones (click here for more information on load zones),
parking for local residents and for shared vehicles, and
vehicular capacity.
In business or commercial areas, including blocks with mixed-use buildings containing residential units, the priorities for curb space use are:
transit use (bus stops and spaces for bus layover),
passenger and commercial vehicle loading zones (click here for more information on load zones),
short-term customer parking (time limit signs and paid parking typically for 1- or 2-hours);
parking for shared vehicles, and
vehicular capacity.
The Department strives to balance the diverse and competing needs for curb spaces uses, and considers the adjacent land uses both in terms of each specific block as well as the larger surrounding area. In general the City’s priorities (as present in the Comprehensive Plan and other similar documents) do not support the use of on-street parking for long-term commuter parking.
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http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/parking72hour.htm
The City of Seattle has many signs posted around the city that limit the amount of time a vehicle may park on the street (such as a 2-hour limit between 7 a.m. – 6 p.m., etc.). Regardless of whether or not there is any sign posted, the City’s Traffic Code does not allow a vehicle to be parked on a city street for longer than 72 hours. The Traffic Code also prohibits junk motor vehicles from being left on City streets (see Abandoned Vehicle Hotline). Additionally, the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) prohibits vehicles over 80 inches (such as RVs, tractor trailers, and larger trucks) from parking on most city streets (any street except those adjacent to Manufacturing or Industrial zoning) between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. (SMC 11.72.440). The Seattle Police Department routinely enforces these ordinances and also responds to specific cases when alerted by complaints from the public – please use the non-emergency number (206-625-5011) to report violations.
Sometimes the ordinary parking restrictions on a street may change, such as to allow street cleaning, construction activity, special events or other unusual circumstances that require that the street be cleared of parked vehicles. When this happens, official signs (easels) will be posted announcing the temporary change to parking restrictions with the dates and times when no parking is allowed (see Temporary No Parking Zones). In some cases these signs may be set up with as little as 24-hour advance notice before the restrictions take effect. Vehicles must be moved by the time indicated or drivers may receive a citation and their vehicle may be impounded and towed.
Although some people may not use their vehicles on a regular basis (and therefore leave them parked on the street), the vehicles must still be moved every 72 hours and comply with all posted signs, including the ones announcing temporary parking restrictions that may go into effect after 24 hours. When a car is parked on a public street, drivers are encouraged to check their car at least once a day, even if their car is on a street where they are allowed to park up to the citywide 72-hour maximum.
If you believe your vehicle has been towed, please call (206) 684-5444 (Seattle Police Department). To learn about the impound process, please visit our Tow-Away Zone page.
To report an abandoned vehicle, call the Seattle Police Department Abandoned Vehicles Hotline at (206) 684-8763.
For more information on the 72-hour On-Street Parking Ordinance, call (206) 684 ROAD (684-7623).
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http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/drivewaymarking.htm
Driveways
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Seattle Municipal Code 11.72.110 – Driveway or alley entrance
“No person shall stand or park a vehicle in front of a public or private driveway within a street or alley or in front of or in an alley entrance or within five feet (5′) of the end of a constructed driveway return or alley entrance return, or if none, within five feet (5′) of the projection of the edge of the driveway or alley.”
Seattle Municipal Code 11.72.120 – Driveway – Painted curb
“The prohibited area for driveway returns described in Section 11.72.110 may be maintained with traffic yellow paint by the property owner or occupant.”
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