GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It seems as though some people are having a hard time following the odd-even parking policy in effect on many Grand Rapids streets.
Our crew had a hard time figuring out what was the “right” side of the road to park on Thursday because there were cars parked on both sides of the street.
That creates a problem for emergency vehicles to get down streets that can’t be plowed because cars are parked on both sides of the street, according to Grand Rapids police.
“If the snow builds up so much and cars aren’t moving and those emergency vehicles can’t get through, we may have to end up towing cars,” Sgt. Dan Adams said.
Police say they don’t want to have to tow cars, they just want people to follow the rules. Writing a ticket is their first step at enforcement.
“I understand the community’s frustration. No one likes getting a ticket,” Adams said. “But at the same time, a lot of residents are reaching out to us and saying, ‘Hey I’m abiding by the rules, my neighbors aren’t. Come tow them.’ I mean, some people don’t even think ticketing is enough.”
Demi Haggerty lives on one of those streets and says she understands people’s confusion, but it doesn’t make it any less of a problem. “It’s not a very good system, so it’s not their fault,” she said. “The system needs to be fixed. It has nothing to do with the individual person. I don’t think people see that sign and say, ‘Oh I want to park on the wrong side and be mean and screw everyone over with plowing.”
Haggerty says she thinks some people might miss seeing the signs or not understand the rule. But she notices when she can hardly get down her street and when her road isn’t plowed.
