Evening star., 1949-02-18
Law on Parking
In Driiveways
To Be Enforced
Police Action Token
On Complaints Of
| Many Pedestrians

Police on Monday will begin
enforcement of a regulation that
threatens to give many District
motorists parking tickets for park
ing in their own front driveways.
Police Supt. Robert j. Barrett
has ordered city-wide application
of a long standing rule that for
bids parking on the public space
between the street curb and the
legal building line. Building lines
range up to 40 feet from the curb.
Every street has such public
space. including the street itself.
the sidewalk and in many cases
considerable length of parking"
or lawn area beyond the sidewalk.
Much of the lawn that fronts most
homes is public property.
A man who parks his car in
the portion of his driveway on
this property, under Maj. Bar
rett's new order. will be subject
to police action.
Reason for Order.
The reason for the order, ac-
cording to Traffic Inspector Ar
thur E. Miller, is an increasing
number of complaints about mo-
toristS using such areas as regu-
lar parking places.
Pedestrians have complained
frequently that cars driving in and
out of these public spaces have
nearly run over them" Inspector
Miller explained often they drive
right over the curb to get into the
space, and they have knocked
down parking meters and damaged
trees in backing out
1 In addition, he said, police feel
some businessmen, and the parkers
themselves, are using the public
space for private gain" which the
public parking regulation is in
tended to prevent. This is espe-
cially troublesome in downtown
business districts, the inspector
added.
! Typical Trouble Spots.
Circular driveWays at building
entrances. space around gasoline
filling stations, and small, vacant
lots accessible from the street are
typical trouble spots. he said.
There are numerous cars park
ing on public space all day, nearly
every day" Maj. Barrett's order
stated. Many of these vehicles
park illegally within 10 or Is feet
OF the curb or parking meter
spaces where parking is limited to
one hour. and in some instances
is restricted at all times.
Business people" the order
continued. may use public space
; in the conduct of their business.
but there must be limit to this
practice"
Inspector Miller said police are
concerned primarily with COM
mercial areas. but he emphasized
that the order also will be en-
forced in residential neighbour
hoods.
Notices to Be Issued.
I'm residential areas where
cars park in driveWays. entrances
to garages or other public spaces.
where it is reasonable to believe
that a person would not know
that it is violation. warning no.
tices should be issued in all ordi-
nary cases." the enforcement or
der directed.
Persons who repeat the offense
after receiving a warning should
be issued traffic violation notice
or be arrested" it added.
Actual arrests under the new
order will be delayed for tive
weeks. During the first week po-
licemen are instructed to inform
"all business people or individ-
uals who may be affected" The
following week warning notices
will be posted on all cars found
parked in public space.
AT the end of two weeks traffie
violation notices will be placed on
cars which the officers know, or
have good reasons to believe, are
parked all day or for unusual
lengths of time" the order di-
rected.