Village Resident Requests Alternate Parking
FALCONER — Efforts to combat local streets packed with cars and snow were discussed by the Village Board on Tuesday.
A longtime resident of East Everett Street in Falconer asked the board to consider implementing alternate parking.
“One of the biggest problems we’ve had is wintertime with snow removal,” the resident said. “The problem is there is no alternate parking. I’d just like to see if the village is going to look into some kind of alternate parking.”
“Some (vehicles) just sit there all winter and don’t get moved,” he continued. “It just makes a mess of the side streets. … There are just a slew of vehicles lined up one after the other.”
The resident said alternate parking, similar to the one used in Jamestown, might help mitigate the problem.
In the city beginning Oct. 1, motorists are permitted to park on the side of the street with even numbered addresses on even numbered days and odd numbered addresses on odd numbered days. From April through September, parking alternates on a monthly basis.
The resident noted that some village properties have multiple tenants, with each having their own vehicle. This can lead to multiple vehicles lining the street — making it harder for plows to come through and thus making streets difficult to navigate.
“It’s near impossible for them to plow through there and get it cleared,” he said. “I’m shoveling clear out into the middle of the road just to get to the snow because the cars are lined up end to end. I know in the past it’s been brought up.”
Village Mayor James Rensel said the board would look into the problem and suggested different ways to ask residents to move their vehicles so plows can go through.
“It is something we are talking about,” said Rensel, later asking, “You think (alternate parking) would take care of the situation?”
“It would alleviate it a lot,” the resident responded. “It’s never going to take care of it 100% but when the vehicles move, of course, the plow can come through and clear the other side of the road.”
It was noted by Village Board members that enforcing alternate parking would be difficult.
Peter Fuller, village Department of Public Works superintendent, said there are four village employees who handle snow removal duties. He said the county takes care of plowing Work Street while the state plows Main Street. All other streets are plowed by the village.
“It’s always been a thing,” Fuller said of trying to drive plows around other vehicles on local streets. “We just do what we have to do.”
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