Reading Parking Authority pushes for painting parking spaces on unmetered city streets

May 19—Creating lined parking spaces on city streets could add up to four spaces in a block, Reading Parking Authority Chairman Timothy J. Profit said.

Discussion of a proposed amendment to the city's parking ordinance that would authorize the authority to paint lines on non-metered streets took place during a meeting Monday, attended by some board members in person and others via Zoom.

"We could pick up two spaces, per side, per block," Profit said. "I think it is imperative that we have the ability to line streets."

Executive Director Nathan Matz said the authority is not able to paint lines without the city's permission.

"We don't own the streets," he said.

Matz joined the meeting in progress after attending an earlier city council session, during which the topic also was raised and council members expressed their concerns.

Matz told council he gets many complaints about people taking up more than one parking space and parking in the middle of two spaces. The solution, he told council, is to paint lines or stalls on the street. The spaces could range from 18 feet to 24 feet wide, he said.

Authority member Daniel Laws is not as confident parking lines would solve the problem.

"It won't make any difference," Laws said. "As soon as one person parks outside the lines, it will force other cars to park outside the lines. Who do we ticket?"

"The answer will be 'all of them,'" Bart Ganster, authority enforcement officer, said.

The time needed to paint the spaces is a drawback, Laws said.

"It is going to take us seven years to stripe three streets," he said.

Despite Laws' concerns, other authority members expressed support for the plan.

Matz said he will work with the authority's solicitor and the city's solicitor to refine the ordinance's language to satisfy council's concerns.

The issues of double parking and parked cars blocking intersections also were raised during the meeting.

Ganster said his team is cracking down on both problems.

During the pandemic, enforcement at blocked intersections had become lax, he said, but as safety restrictions are lifted, violators will be ticketed.

"I told my people to start on that," he said. "We'll be on that every day."

In other business, the RPA approved the purchase of a vacant lot at 524 Spruce St. for $10,000.

The lot will be converted for parking as part of the authority's Citywide Parking Relief program, or CPR.

The idea of the program is to provide parking options to residents in neighborhoods struggling with inadequate spaces, Profit said.

"At the beginning of this year, I told you how important to me it was to find some relief for our citizens," he said. "We are getting there very rapidly. I appreciate all of you for understanding the vision and how important it is to the authority."

The authority also approved a change order in the amount of $55,710 for fence repairs at the Chiarelli Plaza parking garage.