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Many misusing permits to park free all day, city finds
BY KARL J. KARLSON
Pioneer Press
People using disability permits to park free at St. Paul meters will be limited to four hours under a new policy that could take effect by early September.
The plan, similar to one Minneapolis adopted more than a year ago, follows studies that found nearly 60 percent of cars parked at the city's 1,600 downtown meters were parked there illegally or used their disability permits to stay all day.
"That defeats the purpose of the meter, to provide short-term on-street parking,'' said City Engineer John Maczko, who has been working on the issue for more than a year.
He said parking meters, almost all of which are in the downtown area, are supposed to create turnover and provide parking spaces for those who want to visit the doctor or library, run errands or have lunch, then leave.
"They're not supposed to provide long-term employee parking, which seems to be the case now,'' Maczko said.
Maczko said public works surveys found:
• About 21 percent of vehicles at meters had been parked illegally without paying, and only about 10 percent of those were ticketed, a low number that he said has prompted the Police Department to beef up enforcement.
• About 7 percent of meters were taken by those who stayed beyond the posted time limit by returning at intervals to feed the meter more quarters, an illegal practice.
• About 29 percent of vehicles at meters had disability stickers or licenses plates and parked free all day.
Maczko estimated the city loses $6,000 a day in parking-meter revenue because of these practices.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis parking engineer Mike Sachi said the city's new system has worked well during its first year.
"We've had not a great uprising (or) revolt by parkers. In fact, people tell me it's easier now to find an on-street parking place in downtown,'' Sachi said.
Minneapolis instituted its four-hour free-parking limitation for disability permits after surveys showed that 40 percent of its 4,500 meters were taken up by permit holders. In June, permit-parking use had dropped to 15 percent, Sachi said.
In St. Paul, the Mayor's Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities approved the public works plan after many details were worked out, said Tom Heinl, chairman of the group's transportation subcommittee.
"We know some people will be up in arms about it, but the committee — and the disabled community as a whole — is aware of the parking permits being used improperly,'' Heinl said.
The details Heinl mentioned might apply to people like Rose Langeslay, a state employee who works in downtown St. Paul and uses a disability tag to park along Minnesota Street by Town Square.
"There's no way I can park (in a fringe lot) and walk blocks to work. What do they want me to do — go on welfare or Social Security and not work?" she said. "They've got to stop and think what taking this (parking privilege) back does to people's quality of life.''
Maczko said the proposed policy includes half-priced monthly parking in municipal ramps for people with state-issued disability permits.
The plan also provides for a special permit that allows meter parking for large handicapped-accessible vans if they do not fit in ramps and for people with special needs for whom a ramp will not work, he said. However, they would still have to pay a rate equal to half of what it would cost them to park in a ramp.
He noted that the plan doesn't specifically address the issue of people abusing the disability-permit privilege, but it could help.
"I was doing one of our studies and saw this guy park with a disability sticker and then run — run — across the street to an office building. It makes you wonder,'' he said.
Maczko said he expects a full discussion about the issue before the department implements new rules sometime after Labor Day.
State law says people with disability permits can park free at meters, but it allows municipalities to regulate that privilege. For instance, St. Paul in 1997 starting requiring all motorists, including those with disability permits, to observe the time limit on 15-minute parking meters.
DETAILS
• St. Paul is establishing a parking hot line at 651-266-5585 to handle reports from the public about alleged illegal parking or the misuse of disability permits. The phone number, which goes directly to the Police Department's parking enforcement office, is expected to shorten the response time to complaints.
• For information about downtown St. Paul parking ramps and other parking options, visit www.saintpaulparking.com.
• Anyone who wants to comment on the city's plans to limit parking-meter use can call John Maczko at 651-266-6137.
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BY KARL J. KARLSON
Pioneer Press
People using disability permits to park free at St. Paul meters will be limited to four hours under a new policy that could take effect by early September.
The plan, similar to one Minneapolis adopted more than a year ago, follows studies that found nearly 60 percent of cars parked at the city's 1,600 downtown meters were parked there illegally or used their disability permits to stay all day.
"That defeats the purpose of the meter, to provide short-term on-street parking,'' said City Engineer John Maczko, who has been working on the issue for more than a year.
He said parking meters, almost all of which are in the downtown area, are supposed to create turnover and provide parking spaces for those who want to visit the doctor or library, run errands or have lunch, then leave.
"They're not supposed to provide long-term employee parking, which seems to be the case now,'' Maczko said.
Maczko said public works surveys found:
• About 21 percent of vehicles at meters had been parked illegally without paying, and only about 10 percent of those were ticketed, a low number that he said has prompted the Police Department to beef up enforcement.
• About 7 percent of meters were taken by those who stayed beyond the posted time limit by returning at intervals to feed the meter more quarters, an illegal practice.
• About 29 percent of vehicles at meters had disability stickers or licenses plates and parked free all day.
Maczko estimated the city loses $6,000 a day in parking-meter revenue because of these practices.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis parking engineer Mike Sachi said the city's new system has worked well during its first year.
"We've had not a great uprising (or) revolt by parkers. In fact, people tell me it's easier now to find an on-street parking place in downtown,'' Sachi said.
Minneapolis instituted its four-hour free-parking limitation for disability permits after surveys showed that 40 percent of its 4,500 meters were taken up by permit holders. In June, permit-parking use had dropped to 15 percent, Sachi said.
In St. Paul, the Mayor's Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities approved the public works plan after many details were worked out, said Tom Heinl, chairman of the group's transportation subcommittee.
"We know some people will be up in arms about it, but the committee — and the disabled community as a whole — is aware of the parking permits being used improperly,'' Heinl said.
The details Heinl mentioned might apply to people like Rose Langeslay, a state employee who works in downtown St. Paul and uses a disability tag to park along Minnesota Street by Town Square.
"There's no way I can park (in a fringe lot) and walk blocks to work. What do they want me to do — go on welfare or Social Security and not work?" she said. "They've got to stop and think what taking this (parking privilege) back does to people's quality of life.''
Maczko said the proposed policy includes half-priced monthly parking in municipal ramps for people with state-issued disability permits.
The plan also provides for a special permit that allows meter parking for large handicapped-accessible vans if they do not fit in ramps and for people with special needs for whom a ramp will not work, he said. However, they would still have to pay a rate equal to half of what it would cost them to park in a ramp.
He noted that the plan doesn't specifically address the issue of people abusing the disability-permit privilege, but it could help.
"I was doing one of our studies and saw this guy park with a disability sticker and then run — run — across the street to an office building. It makes you wonder,'' he said.
Maczko said he expects a full discussion about the issue before the department implements new rules sometime after Labor Day.
State law says people with disability permits can park free at meters, but it allows municipalities to regulate that privilege. For instance, St. Paul in 1997 starting requiring all motorists, including those with disability permits, to observe the time limit on 15-minute parking meters.
DETAILS
• St. Paul is establishing a parking hot line at 651-266-5585 to handle reports from the public about alleged illegal parking or the misuse of disability permits. The phone number, which goes directly to the Police Department's parking enforcement office, is expected to shorten the response time to complaints.
• For information about downtown St. Paul parking ramps and other parking options, visit www.saintpaulparking.com.
• Anyone who wants to comment on the city's plans to limit parking-meter use can call John Maczko at 651-266-6137.
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