Motorists are endlessly optimistic they will find free parking right at the front door of where they want to go. Who do they think they are, Hollywood actors in a movie?
Consider these optimists at Tunney’s Pasture:
Those cars are parked on the bridge that goes over the transitway. They probably feel themselves pretty lucky and clever, having found on-street parking, sans meters, sans time restrictions, right close to the office. Of course, once someone finds the space, copy cat parkers arrive.
Alas, the reason there aren’t any “no parking” signs is because the city doesn’t need to post them, because it is illegal to park on top of or under a bridge. Blanket rule, therefore no signs required.
A few years ago, Noisefest motorists parked on the edge of the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway where it went over the aqueduct, right some close to the main gate of Bluesfest. No signs. But expensive tickies were issued. Cars a few feet further away, not actually over the water, were not. I suggested to the NCC at the time that paper signs be put up warning motorists, and last year they were.
Back to Tunney’s and the all-day free-parkers.
It won’t last.
Eventually either the City will decide it is their road, and issue tickets, or the Feds will decide it’s their road (roads in Tunney’s Pasture are not City streets).
In the meantime, the contagion is spreading to other bridges along the transitway:
I’m often jealous of you WestSiders, living so close to all the action while I’m stuck out here in beautiful downtown Bells Corners. On the other hand, there are MANY advantages to living in our unique community.
For example, we don’t have parking problems here! The car is king and His Majesty is allowed to park pretty much wherever He wants, whenever he wants, and it’s always free.
Another advantage to living in a community designed to coddle His Royal Highness – we don’t have all those nasty cyclist/pedestrian/motorist conflicts you have in the WestSide, since we don’t really have any cyclists or pedestrians.
Residents can bomb around Bells Corners in their SUVs to their hearts’ content without worrying about annoying cyclists getting in the way and slowing everybody down. Ah, la belle vie!
http://bellscorners.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/the-future-of-cycling-in-bells-corners
The illegal parking lot in front of the condo at Bay and Laurier is like that. People drive across the bike lane, over the curb, over the sidewalk, and park right under the No Parking signs. Major downtown intersection, but bylaw pays them no mind. Every once in a while I complain, and they go away. Give it a few months, and they come back. I heard the city forgives parking tickets if you go in and say you didn’t see the sign. I wonder if that has something to do with it.