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CBS 5 WeatherCenter: Current Conditions & Forecast Oakland Parking Controversy Hits Closer to Home
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Another parking controversy has some Oakland residents upset with parking enforcement. Just a few months ago, the city attempted to extend parking meter hours to 8 p.m. in effort to raise money for city services, but a major backlash forced them to rescind the decision.
Now, residents in a midtown Oakland neighborhood are outraged to be getting violations for parking in front of their own driveways along Oakland Avenue and Harrison Street.
"I am not blocking anybody here," said one local resident. "This is my space."
Though it is illegal to block a driveway, resident Pam Garcia, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years, said that parking in front of her driveway had become the norm.
Garcia also added that because of the limited parking space in this neighborhood, the law was never enforced. Garcia is now finding these parking violations are taking a toll on her pocketbook.
"It seems like an overall hike in the level of aggressiveness," said Garcia. "I have paid $1500 in parking violations in 18 months."
But acting City Communications Director Karen Boyd said that such an aggressiveness toward giving parking violations is not true.
"There's been a perception that the ticket-giving is up. In fact our records indicate that in fact it's actually slightly down," said Boyd.
According to Boyd, the city is issuing an average of 39,000 tickets a month compared to 43,000 a month last year.
Boyd also added that unless homeowners report a car blocking their driveway, a citation won't be issued. She encouraged residents to appeal these parking violations.
Garcia has attempted to appeal these parking violations since July, and said she has not had any luck.
"They are doing this to balance the budget on the backs of the citizens, the taxpaying citizens of the city of Oakland," said Garcia. "It's appalling."
Other residents who have been experiencing Oakland's parking situation aren't taking it so lightly.
One said, "I think they need to find other ways to get money and not pick on us poor people that don't have anywhere to park."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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