« Ind. Law - "It's the Law: Firing gun risks felony" | Main | Ind. Courts - More on "Court of appeals deliberating on mayor's election" »

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Ind. Law - "Decision on reverse angle parking pending" [Updated]

Phil Wieland reports today in the NWI Times on "reverse angle parking" - a concept new to the ILB. Some quotes:

VALPARAISO | The city's Traffic and Safety Committee hopes to make a decision next month whether to have reverse angle parking on LaPorte Avenue adjacent to the Uptown East development.

City Engineering Director Tim Burkman said reverse angle parking, in which drivers would pull up and back into a space angled in the direction of traffic, is something being used in other cities. He said it offers safety advantages of making it easier for drivers to see traffic when they pull out into the street and is less complicated than parallel parking.

Councilman Al Eisenmenger, who also is a city police officer, said the police had reverse angle parking in front of the old police station and, even with the emergency vehicle and the uniform, other drivers would give police a dirty look when they had to stop to allow them to back into a space. Burkman said it's the same situation for parallel parking, which the city allows. * * *

Committee members agreed the reverse angle could be safer, but it also would mean vehicles would block more of the sidewalk. If drivers back up until the rear tires touch the curb, the trunk would block 3 feet of a 4-foot-wide sidewalk. A pickup truck would completely block the sidewalk.

[Updated on May 13th, 2009] See the story today in the NWI Times headed "No reverse angle parking on LaPorte Avenue."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 15, 2009 10:06 AM
Posted to Indiana Law