AGENDA #4f
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM : W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Consideration of On-Street Parking Restrictions on Mason Street
DATE: November 11, 2002
The following report is in response to a petition submitted by Ms. Estelle Mabry requesting that the Council consider restricting parking on one side of Mason Street. Please refer to the attached map (Attachment #1).
The attached ordinance would restrict on-street parking on the west side of Mason Street from McMasters Street to its dead end. We recommend enactment of the ordinance.
At its May 13, 2002 meeting, the Council received a petition from Ms. Estelle Mabry and Mr. R. D. Smith to preserve the character of the Northside Neighborhood. The petition included a request that parking conditions on Mason Street be reviewed.
Mason Street is a 20-foot wide paved dead-end street approximately 250 feet in length. Currently, on-street parking is permitted at all times along the entire length on both sides of the street. Mason Street is straight and on level terrain.
DISCUSSION
We conducted field observations at various times on different days. We noted that available on-street parking was often completely occupied on the east side of Mason Street, with significantly fewer vehicles parking on the west side of the street. We also noted traffic congestion and constricted travel lane widths occurred when cars were parked on both sides of the street.
We prepared the attached survey form (Attachment #2) describing the proposed parking restrictions and solicited comments from the area residents. We distributed 5 survey forms to the residents on Mason Street and 3 were returned. Of those returned, all of them supported “No Parking Anytime” on the west side of Mason Street.
Based on our observations, and the neighborhood survey results, we believe that restricting on-street parking on the west side of Mason Street to “No Parking Anytime” would reduce traffic congestion and improve traffic safety conditions in the area, while preserving parking on the east side of Mason Street for residents’ use.
The Manager recommends that the Council adopt the attached Ordinance that would establish “No Parking Anytime” on the west side of Mason Street.
1. Vicinity Map (p. 4).
2. Survey Form (p. 5).
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE TOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES REGARDING ON-STREET PARKING (2002-11-11/O-3)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill as follows:
Section 1. Section 21-27 of the Town Code of Ordinances, “No parking as to particular streets.” is hereby amended by adding the following in appropriate alphabetical order:
“Street Side From To
Mason Street West McMasters Street End”
Section 2. This ordinance shall become effective December 9, 2002.
This the 11h day of November, 2002.