A BIZARRE parking law in a mjor US city sees residents risk mammoth fines for simply parking on their own driveway.
But things were even worse just a fww short years ago, when an outdated city plan left a couple facing penalties costing over $1,500.
A couple were left stunned after they were hit with a mighty fine for simply parking on their driveway[/caption]
The couple had lived and parked in the same spot for years and had never had any problems – until they received a penalty notice[/caption]
The couple were penalized over a law prevently parking on uncovered driveways without a garage[/caption]
Ed and Judy, who live in the Diamond Heights neighbourhood of San Francisco, were left stunned when they were hit with the eye-watering fine.
The couple had been parking on their own drive for decades, according to ABC7.
But back in 2022, it seemed what they were doing was suddenly deemed illegal after they received a shock notice.
“Unbelievable!” said Ed at the time.
“It was deemed illegal because of the beautification desire for the neighborhood.”
The issue arose from a city planning code aimed at maintaining neighbourhood aesthetics – which prohibited parking on uncovered driveways without a garage.
Worse still, their neighbors were allowed to park due to having garages, while Ed and Judy were fined $1,542 by the San Francisco Planning Department.
They were even threatened with further penalties of $250 per day unless they moved their car from outside their house.
“Absurd, it’s absurd,” Ed added.
“It’s like somebody just made up a rule and didn’t care if it made any sense.”
Their story gained widespread attention after being aired by a local news outlet, which led to a viewer providing photographic evidence from 1958 showing a car parked on their driveway – leading the city to waive the fine and “grandfather” their parking space.
“It’s nice to see the city government actually listening and responding,” said Ed.
‘COMMON SENSE’
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has since taken steps to modernise these outdated regulations through his PermitSF initiative.
This ensured residents can use their driveways without fear of fines – provided they comply with rules such as keeping sidewalks clear and limiting the number of vehicles parked.
It also led to broader reforms in how parking violations are handled, offering relief to many residents and reducing bureaucratic red tape.
“The directive was – how can we do better?” said Elizabeth Watty, the city’s Director of Current Planning.
“How can we create some improvements around common-sense governance?”
“It felt a bit embarrassing that this was a regulation that we still had on the books.”
She added: “The city is modernizing its rules to amend the planning code so that homeowners can park in their driveway and no longer receive violations under the planning code.”
The city, though, still enforces some rules – with cars banned from crossing over the property line to ensure sidewalks are clear and accessible.
“You still cannot park on the sidewalk,” Watty said.
Plus, the city says only up to two vehicles can be parked in the driveway and those caught breaking this law face a fine of $1,725.
CASH COWS
Back in June, it was revealed San Francisco authorties had been forced into a U-turn over a controversial $100 fee targeting residents using their driveways.
The fee, which was suggested as a revenue-generating measure for the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), was ultimately scrapped due to a range of issues.
These included legal and administrative hurdles as well as public opposition, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle.
The driveway fee, which has been compared to New York City’s congestion pricing – which took effect earlier this year and charges drivers to use certain roads to fund public transportation – was intended to encourage greater reliance on public transit.
The ruling would have applied to properties with curb cuts, as these are considered privatizations of public space.
And an economic analysis estimated that the city could collect some $19.6 million annually from 196,000 curb cuts, minus $3 million for administrative costs.
However, problems quickly emerged as lawmakers realized the fee would require approval from the agency’s board and potentially voter approval if classified as a new tax.
Furthermore, enforcing compliance would be extremely challenging and would require the city to create mechanisms to verify whether homeowners are paying the fee – and penalize those who fail to do so.
San Francisco residents, particularly those in areas with limited public transportation options, heavily rely on their cars – which means a fee targeting driveway owners could be perceived as an attack on car ownership.
A spokesperson for the Municipal Transportation Agency later said that charging people for their driveways isn’t an idea that’s “on the table”.
Other staff at the agency admitted such a policy would run into significant legal and administrative issues.
New ‘daylighting’ law
A new parking law has been introduced in California.
California Assembly Bill 413, also known as the Daylighting to Save Lives Bill, prohibits parking within 20 feet of crosswalks.
The law makes it illegal for drivers to stop, stand, or park within 20 feet of a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
Daylighting is a term for keeping the areas next to intersections as clear as possible to improve visibility on the street and protect pedestrians and bike riders.
The law also prohibits parking personal and commercial vehicles within 20 feet of the left curb on one-way streets or within 15 feet of crosswalks where a curb extension is present.
The law goes into effect on January 1, 2025.
There will be a 60-day grace period for violations until March 1.
