As Brisbane’s population growth outpaces infrastructure development, a local resident from Upper Kedron has launched a petition seeking to adopt parking regulations similar to those in Logan, which allows verge parking. The aim is to alleviate the mounting parking woes plaguing the city’s narrow residential streets.
Read: New Parking Garage Opening at Ferny Grove Station, But Traffic Flow Will Be Altered
With more residents per household due to the housing crisis, the competition for on-street parking has intensified, creating safety hazards and equity concerns. The resident who started the e-petition stated that the prevalent zigzag parking pattern obstructs traffic flow and poses severe risks for emergency vehicles attempting to navigate these tight corridors.
“The current parking restrictions on streets narrower than 6 metres severely limit access for emergency vehicles, potentially delaying critical responses,” the resident explained. “Additionally, with vehicles parked along curbs, the remaining road space becomes insufficient for safe two-way traffic flow, creating a hazard for all road users.”
Beyond the safety implications, the resident highlights how the existing parking constraints disproportionately impact women, forcing them to park further from their homes and increasing their exposure to potential risks, particularly during late hours.
To address these challenges, the petition proposes amendments akin to Logan City Council’s approach: allowing partial or full parking on residential verges, provided that specific conditions are met.
These include maintaining a clear 1.2-meter footpath for pedestrians and mobility access, ensuring access to mailboxes, utility covers, and fire hydrants, and requiring parallel parking in the direction of traffic flow adjacent to the kerb.
The resident further notes that Brisbane has been fining residents for verge parking, a practice permitted in Logan, exacerbating the financial strain during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
In Brisbane, it is prohibited to park your vehicle on footpaths, footways, or verges (the strip of grass between the footpath and the road). This restriction extends to residential driveways where they cross over footpaths, footways, and verges.
Some drivers resort to parking on the footpath in an attempt to create space for other vehicles to pass by on the road. However, this practice is illegal, and offending motorists may receive a warning or be issued a fine by authorities.
In Logan, a motorist can park their vehicle partially or fully on verge or a nature strip if there is no other safe option, provided certain conditions are met. They can do so if the road is narrow, less than 6 metres wide and they do not block the footpath and leave a minimum gap of 1.2 metres to allow pedestrian or mobility access.
Other conditions include not blocking access to a mailbox or park over utility covers or fire hydrants and that vehicles must be parallel parked when on the nature strip, facing the same direction as traffic flow, directly adjacent to the vehicle.
Read: The Gap Property Market Shows Steady Growth, Consistent Demand
So far, the e-petition has garnered 149 signatures from concerned residents, with the deadline for signing set for 10 August 2024. As the debate over parking solutions intensifies, the call for change underscores the need for a balanced approach that prioritises safety, accessibility, and equity for all residents.
Published 23-May-2024