There seems to be some question about the parking issue that is going on with the alley on 2nd Avenue in downtown. To clear this up, We would like to explain a few points. No new legislation, ordinances, laws or directives of any kind have been passed down to the police department. We are enforcing laws that have been on the books since 1975. While we understand the inconvenience of the lack of parking downtown, we are simply doing our job.
If a business complains of parked cars interfering with there business by parking on plainly marked private property, we address the issue. We have been advising people of the issue and have not issued any citations or towed any vehicles at this time. However, in the case of private property, the business may call a wrecker of their choosing and have the vehicle removed. We have been asked to fix the issue without having to resort to fines or towing.
We have been courteous and took time to explain to the drivers that we must change old habits. We have also made arrangements to have the alleyway painted to serve as a reminder to those who may be unaware. We are aware that for many years, this has been allowed to happen and that change can be a process. As you can see in this Google image attached, this issue has been ongoing for years (3 cars parked in the alley) and will take some time to fix. We are doing so in the most community minded way that we can. When the roadway striping is done, we will also be visibly marking the alley as well. So far, nobody has been fined or towed, most people are working with us to remind everyone.
As many know, alleys are intended to allow the fire department access between buildings if needed and to serve as a fire break in the event of a multiple structure fire. We also have many property owners that use these alleys to access parking in the rear of their business. To be honest, this alley is the only one that has not been enforced in the past. I have attached the Alabama code that pertains to parking violations below. Please help us correct this issue. Thanks.
Original source can be found here.
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