Parking Enforcers/Legislators

Don’t do it | Army of volunteers issuing citations for handicap parking spot violators

HOUSTON — Drivers who use handicapped parking spaces who aren’t disabled better think twice the next time they decide to park their cars in one of the spots.

The city of Houston has an army of volunteers looking for violators.

The volunteers are ready to make you pay big bucks if you get caught.

On a rainy day, the most coveted spots in any parking lot are the ones closest to the front door. You would think that most drivers know the marked handicapped spaces are reserved for people who need them.

“Parking in it for just a minute is hurting someone else,” Maria Irshad said.

Irshad, who’s a director with Park Houston, said with only 35 compliance officers it’s hard to catch all the violators.

“When someone parks at a space without that placard, they think it’s just a minute. You know, ‘I’m just going in. I’m going to go to the ATM for just a minute. I’m just going to be in and out real fast,’ but what they don’t realize is that there’s limited spaces and someone who really needs that space comes along and they don’t have access to it,” Irshad said.

The city has a secret weapon.

More than 400 people make up the Disabled Parking Volunteer Program. They’ve been trained and are authorized to issue parking citations to cars that are parked in handicapped spaces without a visible handicap placard.

“They will take their ticket book out with them when maybe they’re at the grocery store or when they’re out shopping, just running errands and if they find someone in violation they’ll give them a citation,” Irshad said.

The volunteers are also making sure the hatched-off accessible aisle is clear.

Last year, they issued more than 9,800 parking citations, each one costing drivers $500 bucks.

Irshad said, that to the volunteers, catching able drivers abusing disabled spots is near and dear to their hearts.

“They do it on their own time. A lot of them have a personal stake in accessible parking. It may be someone in their family. It may be themselves that need the parking space,” Irshad said.

The city is now recruiting more volunteers to join the program. They’re hosting training sessions twice a month.

Source Credit: Houston KHOU-11
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Stay in the Lines Coloring Page!

At the Southlake DPS, we try to avoid snark and sass (we REALLY do ?), but sometimes our fair citizens make it hard. Please stay in the lines when you park ESPECIALLY if it’s next to a handicapped spot or you might be the recipient of one of our new fliers. Be kind and drive kind and park kind! Let this graphic be an attention grabbing example so we don’t have to end up going to FedEx Kinko’s and making like thousands of copies of these.

Source Credit: Southlake DPS

DOWNLOAD: Stay in the Lines Coloring Page!

 

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2019-07-26T16:20:41+00:00Categories: .jpg, Parking Enforcers/Legislators, Photo/Art|

Semi-Annual Reminder RE: Disabled Parking Space Use–Sign

We use this sign in conjunction with periodic campus-wide campaigns to help educate about the need to save accessible parking spaces for customers authorized to use them. They are also placed in key areas in advance of enforcement events where we partner with campus police to target. We send a campus-wide message to the campus community to help raise awareness.

Source Credit: Texas A&M University Transportation Services

DOWNLOAD: Semi-Annual Reminder RE: Disabled Parking Space Use–Sign
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Semi-Annual Reminder RE: Disabled Parking Space Use–Notice

We send this notice campus-wide twice per year to help educate about the need to save accessible parking spaces for customers authorized to use them. At times, we send it in advance of enforcement events where we partner with campus police to target enforcement in areas that tend to be more problematic. We also deploy temporary signs moved from area to area to help raise awareness.

 

Source Credit: Texas A&M University Transportation Services

DOWNLOAD: Semi-Annual Reminder RE: Disabled Parking Space Use–Notice
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Deterring Access Aisle Parking Violations

The ability to safely park at one’s destination is an important component of community participation for people with disabilities. With the proper permit, people with disabilities should be able to use accessible parking spaces in public parking lots. However, a lot of people with disabilities have encountered barriers to parking. Researchers at the Research and Training Center on Independent Living at KU conducted two studies on accessible parking. This study examined factors related to access aisle violations. Access aisles are the diagonally marked spaces adjacent to the accessible parking spaces that are designed for use by people with disabilities. Access aisles are usually marked with yellow, white, or blue diagonal stripes.

Source Credit: University of Kansas Research and Training Center on Independent Living
This material is reproduced with permission of the University of Kansas Research and Training Center on Independent Living. In addition, please add “The contents of this publication were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90RT5015). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These contents do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

DOWNLOAD: Deterring Access Aisle Parking Violations Fact Sheet
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Encouraging Reservation of Van Designated Spaces for Lift-or-Ramp-Equipped Van Users

The ability to safely park at one’s destination is an important component of community participation for people with disabilities. With the proper permit, people with disabilities should be able to use accessible parking spaces in public parking lots. However, a lot of people with disabilities have encountered barriers to parking. Researchers at the Research and Training Center on Independent Living at KU conducted two studies on accessible parking. This study examined using different signage to encourage reservation of van-accessible spaces for people who use ramp- or lift-equipped vehicles. Wheelchair users who travel in a ramp- or lift-equipped van (RLEV) often reach their destination only to find the van-accessible parking space occupied by a non-ramp or lift-equipped vehicle (NRLEV) that does not need the wider access aisle placed next to van-accessible spaces. This study found that alternate signage for van-accessible parking spaces can prompt  rivers of vehicles without ramps or lifts to use a regular accessible space when available, reserving the van accessible space for RLEV users.

Source Credit: University of Kansas Research and Training Center on Independent Living 
This material is reproduced with permission of the University of Kansas Research and Training Center on Independent Living. In addition, please add “The contents of this publication were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90RT5015). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These contents do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

DOWNLOAD: Parking Equity: Encouraging Reservation of Van Designated Spaces for Lift-or-Ramp-Equipped Van Users Fact Sheet
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Draft Legislation – Tiered Parking Meter Exemption

Currently disability parking permits provide a parking meter fee exemption. By law it is 2.5 hours or the maximum time the meter allows, whichever is longer. Some permittees cannot reach or operate a meter due to a disability. By making it apply to all permittees, it created an incentive for people to fraudulently obtain or use permits belonging to someone else. The bill restricts the exemption to those who are medically certified to be unable to reach or operate a parking meter due to a disability. The bill did not pass this last legislative session, but DCAB intends to reintroduce it.

Source Credit: State of Hawaii Department of Health Disability and Communication Access Board

DOWNLOAD: Draft Legislation – Tiered Parking Meter Exemption
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State of Illinois Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities Law Enforcement Guide

State of Illinois Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities Law Enforcement Guide.

Source Credit: Office of the Illinois Secretary of State
View Online: Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities Law Enforcement Guide

DOWNLOAD: Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities Law Enforcement Guide
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SFMTA-Parking Meter Revenue Audit Report

2014 Controllers Report on barriers that prevent the SFMTA from collecting the maximum potential parking meter revenue. Audit showed disabled placards comprised 40% of all nonpayment by vehicles at parking meters.

Source Credit: City and County of San Francisco, Office of the Controller

DOWNLOAD: SFMTA-Parking Meter Revenue Audit Report
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Model Legislation – Colorado

This document contains model legislation for a two-tier placard act signed into law May 29th, 2018.

Source Credit: Colorado General Assembly
View Online: HB18-1285 Remuneration-exempt Disability Parking Placard

DOWNLOAD: Model Legislation – Colorado
(PDF | 255kb)

 

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