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Some parking grumblers need to open their eyesBy JEAN HELLER © St. Petersburg Times, published May 27, 2001 As St. Petersburg's downtown continues to develop and grow, grumbles about parking conditions grow with it. It might be, as someone suggested recently, that residents of the area aren't used to the range of shopping, entertainment and dining opportunities appearing downtown, aren't used to the crowds and the traffic these opportunities generate. Once we become accustomed to having a vibrant downtown again, it was suggested, once we learn to how to deal with new parking restrictions, the grumbles will die out. Perhaps. But it isn't happening yet. We don't get as many gripes these days about angle parking. People either have gotten used to it or have given up trying to change it. But the opening of BayWalk -- with all the new parking restrictions on the streets around the shopping-dining-theater complex -- produced a stack of new complaints more than an inch thick on my desk. Among them was a complaint from a woman who parked in one of the two curb cutouts on Second Avenue N in front of BayWalk and received a parking ticket for $32.50. She complained that there aren't any "No Parking" signs at the cutout, although she did acknowledge that after a city employee told her about it, she found a sign on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and First Street N that announced there was no parking permitted in the entire block. Still, she wasn't satisfied. The sign was too far from the cutout, too easy to miss, she insisted. So Jessie and I drove over to have a look. We thought the corner sign warning of no parking on the block was pretty easy to see. But even clearer was a duplicate sign with the same message, smack in the middle of the block, right between the cutout in front of Chico's and the cutout in front of Ann Taylor. "The signs are twice the size of normal "No Parking' signs," said St. Petersburg's parking wiz, Phil Oropesa. "The BayWalk people will be putting up decorative signs at the cutouts saying they are for passenger pickup and drop-off only. I don't know if it will help. People just don't read signs." So now, everybody on notice: Park in those cutouts, and it's going to cost you. I know there are a few of you out there who are not particularly enamored of the state's new SunPass system. But the majority of people who use the windshield-mounted, toll-paying transponders feel pretty smug about being able to zip through toll gates without stopping, while the rest of the world is lined up, waiting in line to donate quarters and dollars to the state. For those of us who love SunPass, a good thing just got better. Recently, the full length of Florida's Turnpike became SunPass-compatible. As of last Monday, SunPass finally was being accepted in the Orlando area where the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority completed its conversion from E-Pass. Now, SunPass account holders can use their transponders in E-Pass lanes on the Central Florida GreeneWay (SR 417), the East-West Expressway (SR 408), the Bee Line Expressway (SR 528) and the Western Expressway (SR 429). Around here, of course, SunPass is available on the Pinellas Bayway, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway in Tampa and the Veterans Expressway in Hillsborough County. Nancy Gamble sent us an interesting note recently, and we thought it worth passing on. It deals with motorists who have been issued handicap placards for the rear view mirrors in their vehicles. The only time the placard has to be displayed is when the vehicle is parked in a handicap space. It confers no special privilege when the vehicle is on the road, so there is no reason to leave it on the mirror. Hanging there, it poses a serious obstruction of the driver's view of the world at a time when he or she needs to see everything going on. If you don't believe Nancy and Jessie, take a look at the placard. It carries a clearly visible caution to take it down when driving. I'm sure some folks leave them on the mirrors so they don't forget to put them up when they park. It can be an expensive memory lapse, resulting in a ticket carrying a fine of $250 or more. But traffic court officials generally waive the citation if you appear and show them you have a valid placard. Yes, it's a hassle to have to go to traffic court to get out from under an expensive ticket. But it's a long way better than not seeing the pedestrian crossing the street in front of your car. Last call. We want to hear your nominations for the worst intersections and the worst stretches of road in southern Pinellas County. Where do you most hate having to go in your car? And what are your secret shortcuts around them? We're going to give up some of our secrets for beating traffic from Roosevelt Boulevard to Mullet Key, and it's only fair that you reciprocate. Then watch this section in July for the results. Send us your nominations by fax, e-mail or snail mail. Keeps the cards and letters coming. We're a bit reluctant to mention some potential Eyeball Jigglers of the Week because we are very ambivalent about getting them fixed. This week's is one such. It is the block of 11th Avenue N just east of Fourth Street. It is one of those quaint brick streets for which St. Petersburg is renowned. They look wonderful and give their neighborhoods an old-world look that is downright inviting. But driving them is an invitation to dental work. Eleventh Avenue is to be admired. But at very slow speeds. Dr. Delay's Terrible Traffic Tidbit of the Week: U.S. sales of medium and heavy trucks decreased by 32 percent between March 2000 and March 2001 while sales of cars were down 9 percent. We believe the exception is Ulmerton Road. - Dr. Delay can be reached by e-mail at docdelay@sptimes.com, by fax at (727) 893-8675 or by snail mail at 490 First Ave. S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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