Jefferson City is looking at reducing two sections of street parking due to safety concerns.
The Transportation and Traffic Commission recommended Thursday to reduce street parking on Mulberry Street and Oscar Drive due to residents’ concerns. The recommendations need full City Council approval to go into effect.
Nathan Jones, who owns property on Mulberry Street between West Cedar Way and West Dunklin Street, requested the city prohibit parking on that section of road.
Jones said it becomes a challenge to safely pull trucks in or out of the alley on the east side of the street when there’s parking on the west side.
“We have trucks deliver probably two or three times a day,” he said. “It’s a semi-truck. Essentially with a 53-foot gap; it’s hard to back up. When there were apartments there, there was no parking already. … I think they designed that because you can’t get two vehicles, even just two cars, to pass side by side if there are people parked there. It essentially becomes a one-way street.”
City Engineer Tia Griffin said the street is 3-5 feet narrower than it should be for a two-way road with parking.
She said the previous restriction was lifted around 2015 when an apartment complex there was demolished. There are conversations of turning the currently vacant lot into a community garden.
The committee recommended prohibiting parking in that section of Mulberry Street, from the corner with West Dunklin to 50 feet past the alley during business hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Meanwhile, the committee also recommended extending a no parking area on Oscar Drive near Christy Drive.
Dave Williford, with the Community Health Center, said he’s concerned for the safety of patients due to an obstructed line of sight.
There are two parking lot entrances on the street, which has a slight hill, he said. When exiting the top lot, if vehicles are parked along the side of the road, it’s hard to see whether anybody is coming up the hill.
He requested the city restrict parking between the two entrances, which would eliminate street parking on Oscar Drive.
The committee voted to prohibit parking within 50 feet of the top lot entrance — eliminating two parking spots rather than the requested eight — and to monitor the situation.