The new sign installed this week.
Update, 10:42 a.m. Thursday: The city of Detroit has installed a "No Standing" sign at a parking spot on Griswold, between Fort and Lafayette in downtown Detroit, in response to a column (below) by Allan Lengel of Deadline Detroit.
Lengel and others had received a ticket there for parking in a bus zone, and he wrote that it was unclear that it was an illegal parking spot.
Earlier update Tuesday:
The City of Detroit vows to make it clearer to motorists where they can and can't park on the streets.
The statement comes in response to a Monday column by Allan Lengel of Deadline Detroit, who complains that he and other motorists were getting ticketed in a parking space next to a SMART bus sign on Griswold, between Fort and Lafayette Boulevard downtown. It's unclear that it was a no parking zone.
Keith Hutchings, director of the Municipal Parking Department, issues a statement Tuesday:
“While the vehicles in question are illegally parked in a bus stop, we can do a better job making it clear to drivers where they can and can’t park, particularly as there are more demands on curbside space."
"We will working with DPW to install better signage at the SMART stop in question, and moving forward, starting with Griswold, be implementing a new signage policy to ensure parking restrictions are completely clear.”
Read Monday's Column Below
Another victim is nailed Monday at a tricky spot.
I get the concept of parking tickets. Your meter expires or you park in a clearly marked no-parking zone, you get a ticket. I’m a Detroit resident. The city needs revenue. It’s all part of the process.
The SMART bus sign on Griswold
But over time, I’ve occasionally got parking tickets in spots I had no idea were no-parking zones. And when that’s the case, I considered it a scam.
The latest rip came a few weeks ago on Griswold Street, between Fort and Lafayette Boulecared downtown. I fed the meter, thinking all was fine. But when I returned to my car, a wiper held a $45 ticket for parking at a bus stop.
Granted, a small SMART sign was near the Zone 105 parking signs indicating that the block was a parking area. In other parts of the city, DDOT bus signs include a no-standing logo, making it clear it’s not cool to park there.
In this case, there is no sign indicating there’s no parking -- only a sign indicating you're parking in Zone 105.
Sure, some will say I should have known. But when you see parking zone signs lining the street, many assume it's safe to park there.
Obviously, I'm not alone.
In the many days since I was ticketed, I’ve returned to see a number of other cars ticketed in that spot. And obviously, it’s clear the city doesn’t care. It’s a bonanza for the city, which regularly hands out $45 tickets in that spot.
All it would take is a little sign or some yellow paint on the curb to make it clear parking isn't allowed.
I’ve made several calls to a manager in the parking section to get an explanation as to why, if so many people park there, isn’t there a no-parking sign affixed to the pole or SMART bus sign to make it clear.
City bus sign includes no-standing logo.
No callback has come yet.
On Monday, a red car in the spot has a ticket, as shown above -- another 45 bucks for Detroit as the scam is still going strong.
The city can do better than fleecing residents and visitors to the city to generate revenue.
