RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) –Navigating through downtown traffic can already be stressful enough, and when you add in extended cabs and vehicles sticking out into the lane of traffic, safety can become an issue.
The goal is to make sure all vehicles downtown make sure they actually fit into their parking spots.
“We find that oftentimes those extended cab vehicles go and extend out in the lane of travel which causes a safety hazard. So at that point officers will address that safety hazard by citing the vehicle and ultimately if we can’t get the vehicle moved, we will tow them,” Parking Operations Manager Anna Gilligan said.
Local businesses have seen this issue increase over the past few decades.
“…and it’s great to see a lot of people come and enjoy downtown, especially tourists. But extended cabs are something we’re seeing more and more of and they definitely interrupt traffic and make it a little more difficult to get through downtown. We see an uptick of it definitely more in the summer season, but it’s definitely an issue year round,” 5th & Main Furniture by Freeds Owner Erin Krueger said.
Both Saint Joseph and Main Street run three lanes wide, making parking spaces tighter for larger vehicles, and it’s recommended to use the side streets which have more room for these types of vehicles.
“The city engineer has asked that we don’t encourage people to pull up onto the curb. We’re concerned about the integrity of the curb pulling up on that and damaging that and over time can cause a lot more wear and tear,” Gilligan said.
“I would just encourage drivers, especially when there’s this much traffic downtown to drive slowly. Go at the speed limit or a little slower and be sure to check your rear view mirror before veering. It’s great that we have this much traffic downtown and this much going on downtown but we have to just be patient with it.” Krueger said.
These citations can be up to $25 for vehicles that extend into traffic.
Parking enforcement will take steps to contact and educate these drivers before removing vehicles from downtown.
