Alleviating Redwood City’s parking crunch

Officials voted 5-0 to approve the changes, which could go into effect as early as February of 2018. Councilwoman Alicia Aguirre and Councilwoman Shelly Masur were absent from the meeting.

Assistant City Manager Aaron Aknin said new residential parking permit programs in some neighborhoods and a concerted effort to meet with residents at association meetings and other events to better understand the challenges they are facing are among the other strategies explored since officials began studying the issue last year. He acknowledged the changes wouldn’t solve all of the city’s neighborhood parking issues, which he said could have roots in regional housing issues.

“That’s a very complicated policy issue to tackle and that won’t be solved tonight,” he said. “But these small tweaks will help with enforcement of some of our most common complaints.”

He said changing the city’s policy on 72-hour parking so vehicles are required to move one car length instead of 0.20 miles allows police officers to more easily identify whether a car has been moved. The new rules also define oversized commercial vehicles as those more than 24.5 feet in length or weighing more than 8,000 pounds. By prohibiting oversized commercial vehicles from parking in residential neighborhoods unless the vehicle is there for a job at a nearby residence and imposing other restrictions on the length of time they can be parked on certain streets, Aknin said the space the vehicles take up and safety hazard they pose to pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers who cannot see around them is minimized.

Officials agreed the changes were a step in the right direction, and several suggested staff build periodic assessments into the program to identify what aspects are working and where the restrictions have spillover effects into other communities.

Councilman Jeff Gee said the changes were a long time coming and suggested the city look at the policies some three or six months after they are implemented to make sure they are alleviating the strain on neighborhood parking.

“I think this is something very important for our neighborhoods, but I do think that as we learn from it that we probably will have to do something different,” he said.

Councilmembers John Seybert and Janet Borgens suggested officials keep an eye on the restrictions’ effects on neighboring communities such as North Fair Oaks, as well as to make sure the new policies don’t encourage residents of other jurisdictions to park on Redwood City streets.

“I don’t want us causing an inconvenience or a problem for one of our neighboring jurisdictions,” said Borgens.

When Gee asked how the new rules would be enforced, interim Police Chief Gary Kirby said he expected the new rules to help reduce confusion on what constitutes a commercial vehicle for residents. He said the police department receives many calls from residents concerned about vehicles with commercial license plates but may not pose the same size or safety issues as oversized commercial vehicles. He estimated the department has issued an average of 225 citations for commercial vehicles in the last year but has gone on as many as 600 calls in which officers educate community members on what the enforceable rules are.

“I actually look for it to expedite the process for which we educate the public and then enforce a more common sense process on the vehicles that have grown in weight and capacity and size over the years from when this ordinance was first written,” he said.

Officials also acknowledged the changes could spark further conversations on other rules that could be put in place for vehicles like RVs and to clarify where cars are allowed to park on the street. Having seen parked cars blocking curbs, sidewalks and crosswalks, Borgens said improperly parked cars could have an effect on the pedestrian’s mobility as well.

“Some of our streets are more narrow, they weren’t meant for all these vehicles, and therefore now you can’t walk down the sidewalk,” she said. “We definitely need to educate the community, maybe this is the opportunity to start that conversation also.”

In other business, the Redwood City Council recognized Police Chief JR Gamez for his six years of service in Redwood City and more than 31 years of public service. Gamez announced his retirement in September, citing a medical condition and a desire to focus on his health in the company of family.

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