It was hoped that the new LRT Station in Tuscany would ease tensions for thousands of commuters but a lack of free parking is causing confrontations between riders and residents.
The two groups are facing off over parking on public streets and some residents say commuters’ vehicles are clogging their streets.
Melissa Lundy is one of those residents and says cars are congesting the area behind her townhouse on week days because people don’t want to pay $70 a month for reserved parking or because the free lot is full.
Her neighbours a couple of streets over have received a ‘residential parking only’ designation.
They first had to show that they live near something that generates more than 5,000 vehicle trips per day and then had to get at least 80 percent of residents on the block to sign on.
Lundy’s street also meets the first criteria but the city won't send her the petition papers.
“So I’ve basically been told that for my townhouse specifically, that we have a garage and a driveway so we have enough parking in our complex so we shouldn't have the need to apply for parking on the street,” said Lundy.
CTV Calgary’s Lea Williams-Doherty took a look at the problem and says the city's transportation department says it won’t send Lundy the paperwork because no parking spaces exist on her side of the block.
“It basically allows residents to apply for parking on the street in front of their house only, so in this case they can't apply simply because it doesn't exist,” said Julie Yepishini-Geller from Calgary Transportation.
The city says it is working with the community association on possible solutions to the problem.
(With files from Lea Williams-Doherty)
