The City of Pekin is looking for ways to reduce on street overnight parking on its narrowest streets.
The problem is mostly related to the access of public safety vehicles. It’s something the city used to handle with having a requirement that on street parkers have a light for their car. The traffic safety committee has been evaluating each situation as complaints are raised since that requirement was lifted. But that’s led to patchwork parking policy and congestion problems persist.
Pekin Police Chief Greg Nelson says a consensus of the city council is suggesting an on-street parking ban from 2:00a.m. to 6:00a.m. for simplicity. “We want to implement a solution that works, that puts the least burden on the people but yet gives us the safety on the street that we’re looking for, where we can not impede vehicle traffic with our large emergency vehicles, snow removal and garbage trucks to get through the neighborhoods they need to get through but yet be reasonable for the people who live here.”
Some of the other standardized elements the city is considering are related to the street width. One optin might require no overnight parking on side streets less than 24 feet wide and arterial street 32 feet wide.
Any changes in the community parking policy will take city council approval. Chief Nelson says it will take the Traffic Safety Committee a couple of months to make a formal policy recommendation to the council.