Monroe Village Board hears resident parking concerns

Citing safety concerns and other issues, residents spoke out in support of the resolution which would prohibit parking on Prospect Street, during the January 7 Monroe Village Board meeting.

One resident shared her worry about the safety of children getting on and off the bus due to cars being parked along the street, creating visibility issues. She also expressed her concern about the ability of emergency services vehicles to get up the street with cars parked on both sides.

Other concerns expressed by residents included the use of the street as “overflow” parking for a nearby business and the difficulty of exiting driveways.

The board discussed whether the no standing rule would impact parents who might be waiting for the bus with their children. Alyse Terhune, attorney for the board, explained that while those parents would technically be violating the law if they were standing or parking on the street while waiting for the bus, she said that standing for a short period of time with a good reason is likely not to result in any sort of ticket.

Another issue raised by the board is that the regulation would also prohibit residents from parking on the street and from allowing their friends or family to park there as well. Mayor Neil Dwyer suggested that in those circumstances, the village could reach out to the police department and inform them of an event on the street. In addition, Terhune suggested that the hosts could use cones or balloons to indicate an event is happening on the street.

Parking meters

In other parking news, Dwyer addressed public discourse on village parking, focusing on the response to the kiosks that have replaced the parking meters.

Dwyer acknowledged that there were some posts regarding this matter and shared that while he and the board did not engage on social media, he wanted to clarify the issue for the public.

Dwyer explained that the village installed parking meters in 1953, which have been in place (with modern updates over time) until 2021. He explained that in recent years the village went through a major revitalization of its downtown, adding new sidewalks, streets and curbs, and added that the decision to replace the meters with kiosks did not change the amount of paid parking spots. In addition, he noted that the revitalization of the downtown created issues where the parking meters were in inconvenient spots (such as right in front of a car door), further supporting the need for the new kiosks.

Dwyer shared that the kiosks accept multiple forms of payment, including cash (quarters), and that the village website features him providing a tutorial on how to use them. He added that drivers can also use the Flowbird app on their phones to pay for parking.

Dwyer also reminded residents about other parking available in the village and the work they are doing to add more free parking, such as the reconfiguration of Smithfield Court to add more spaces and sidewalks.