Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Parking Ticket – Near Calif and Harbor Ave
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June 30, 2013 at 6:40 am #608065
FranciParticipantI received a parking ticket tonight near the bottom of California and Harbor Ave.
I was parked North of a sign that said No Parking South of here.
It was on the side of the road between the road and the hillside, on dirt and weeds growing up.
The ticket says I’m parked on the sidewalk. The sidewalk is on the east side of the street. That I need to be 3 feet from the sidewalk. Since when did the dirt area next to the paved road become classified as a ‘sidewalk’?
If it really isn’t legal to park there then shouldn’t the No Parking South of here, say simply No Parking?
June 30, 2013 at 4:37 pm #792778
WFMemberi noticed a number of tickets on cars at this location the other day.
take a photograph of the location and contest the infraction and request the officers presence to understand why the ticket was issued in the first place. and then let us know why?
June 30, 2013 at 9:26 pm #792779
socamrParticipantI received a similar one a month ago. I don’t think contesting will do any good – I checked the municipal code and it states that if there is no sidewalk then the three feet closest to the pavement is defined as a sidewalk.
It seems that SPD has decided an easy way to make $ is to ticket anyone who parks there, since we all assume that it is a legal parking space until we get our first ticket. GRRR.
I actually wrote to the City Council about it, because ticketing everyone there is going to have a negative impact on Water Taxi usage, since that line of 6-8 spots has been a fallback parking area for people taking the taxi. Didn’t even receive so much as an acknowledgment of my concern. I also wrote to Dow Constantine, since the Water Taxi is a King County project – they actually wrote back a nice letter, but also noted (correctly) that parking is a City of Seattle matter.
I don’t know what to suggest – maybe more outraged letters from West Seattleites might make a difference.
June 30, 2013 at 9:55 pm #792780
kayoParticipantI think it is worth contesting because the signage is unclear. I’ve had a ticket thrown out before and it is easy to write a note and send it in to see what happens. I also think writing a letter to the city asking that they clearly mark the area as “no parking” is a good idea. I’ve parked there in a pinch before and did not know it was illegal. It is definitely a gray area and especially without clear signs.
June 30, 2013 at 10:15 pm #792781
MargLMemberThe City’s just making easy money here and anyone who doesn’t contest a ticket is letting them do it. They obviously spent the money on putting in a “No Parking South of Here” sign, so there was -some- thought or discussion at some point about a need for a sign and what it should say. Why not put the same sign further north, closer to the corner of Ferry AVE and make that whole strip “No parking”? There’s precedent for parking there – heck, you can see it in Google streetview!
To be ticketed for being over the white line is totally fair. To be ticketed for being on a ‘sidewalk’ is obscure and probably enforced arbitrarily depending on the mood of the traffic enforcement officer.
June 30, 2013 at 10:34 pm #792782
snaParticipantThey’ve been aggressively ticketing at that spot for the last 6 weeks or so. It had been a regular parking spot until then. Not sure why the sudden change, but it does make taking the water taxi more difficult.
June 30, 2013 at 10:46 pm #792783
GinaParticipantAs a pedestrian that side of California Way is unusable as a sidewalk–and as a driver the no parking sign would indeed indicate that parking is allowed north of it.
Very poor signage, City of Seattle.
July 9, 2013 at 11:41 pm #792784
gregsalmonParticipantIs pretty clear, the three feet next to the pavement IS the sidewalk.
July 10, 2013 at 12:17 am #792785
WFMemberno revenue for the City earlier today, no cars were seen parked on this stretch of street
July 10, 2013 at 12:42 am #792786
shed22ParticipantI used to live up the street and know that stretch well. Cars have always parked there; seemingly as a last resort to unavailable parking on Harbor. For years. If the City is collecting on an obscure municipal code (I, for one, didn’t know about it before socamr’s posting) without signage, it could be interpreted as entrapment.
July 10, 2013 at 4:21 am #792787
redfoxxParticipantDoes this mean that the people who live and park further up that stretch of California are receiving parking tickets as well, or have just those near Harbor Ave been targeted?
July 10, 2013 at 8:48 pm #792788
marianneParticipantI’ve also noticed the city is using that stretch as a happy hunting ground lately to ticket people. The “No Parking South of Here” would seem to indicate that parking is OK to the north. Now that I know about the “3ft” municipal code the tickets are based on, seems pretty sneaky on the part of the city. Noticed that in the last few days someone has staked little paper and wood signage on the stretch warning folks about being ticketed. Wonder if the city will remove them in order to reinstate their ticketing party. As I remember it, cars would always park there without getting ticketed. Apparently that has changed.
July 12, 2013 at 3:35 am #792789
WorldCitizenParticipantFight the ticket. Please.
July 12, 2013 at 7:42 pm #792790
KenParticipantThere is at least one aggressive parking patrol person working WS area. I had someone dropping off a computer, park in my driveway across the sidewalk (which none of the locals seem to use since they mostly walk in the street) at about the 8 min mark the PE person was there writing a ticket. The days of parking enforcement being complaint driven seem to be over for WS
July 12, 2013 at 9:34 pm #792791
JanSParticipantGen. Hill..are you always this miserable in your life? If you don’t like what people are posting, why do you bother even reading here. Sometimes you need to lighten up and not be so snarky. Tiresome. The OP had a legitimate question…and it’s not your place to make it personal…just sayin’.
I know..go to the street fair, get some fresh air, some exercise…have some fun…it’ll do you a world of good :D
July 13, 2013 at 1:30 am #792792
Genesee HillParticipantDear Jan S,
No. Probably less miserable than anyone who would whine on a forum aboud the travesty of justice about getting a lousy parking ticket, or a lousy speeding ticket in a lousy school zone.
Sorry for my comments.
Yeah. I am sure my snarkiness is tiring. Whiners about speeding/parking/dogs w/o leashes tickets are tiring to me.
I just comment sometimes. My apologies.
But, I am as happy as heck that you have your health back. You are a super person. And I mean that.
July 13, 2013 at 2:01 am #792793
JanSParticipantthanks for the well wishes…I’m in recovery mode, and will be off work until the end of August, at least. I’m sleeping a lot, and laying low…and not missing dialysis :)
I don’t consider it whining. If I was the OP I would have complained, too. The signs are misleading…..
July 13, 2013 at 2:14 am #792794
Myr-myrParticipantI got a ticket there about a month ago. I took pictures and contested it, and got the ticket dismissed.
July 13, 2013 at 2:42 am #792795
Myr-myrParticipantHere’s what I put in my letter:
The parking violation I am being charged with is “parking – sidewalk” on the west side of California Avenue where it ends near Harbor Avenue in West Seattle. The charging officer states he or she took a picture of this alleged violation.
Below is my own photograph of the location where the alleged violation took place. As one can see, there is no sidewalk at all on the west side of the street, only a broad, dirt pull-off. Pedestrians wisely use the paved walk on the east side of the street.
Absent a sidewalk, “parking-sidewalk” could not have occurred and an infraction was not committed. I respect-fully request that this ticket be voided.
A copy of this document is being faxed to 206-470-6884 and mailed to
The Municipal Court of Seattle
Attn: Magistrate Case Prep
PO Box 34987
Seattle, WA 98124-4987
July 15, 2013 at 2:28 pm #792796
FranciParticipantThanks Myr-Myr,
I just received my notice with the date to challendge the ticket. I was wondering if responding in writing vs showing up in person would work, I’m going to send a letter as well.
Franci
July 15, 2013 at 2:36 pm #792797
Myr-myrParticipantFranci, Responding in writing rather than showing up worked for my alleged infraction. I really didn’t want to dance to their tune.
July 16, 2013 at 3:28 am #792798
love the water taxi WSBMemberWhile I wish they could allow parking along the stretch, here is what I received back on a general concern/inquiry:
From a Supervisor with the Parking Enforcement Section of the Seattle Police Dept:
“Thank you for forwarding your concern regarding California Way SW. We are currently working with the Seattle Department of Transportation regarding No Parking signs along this stretch of roadway. Although there are no signs posted at this time, it still is illegal to park there and I would refrain from doing so.
I apologize if this has caused you any inconvenience. If I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to email me or contact me at our administrative office at (206) 386-9012.”
Supervisor
Parking Enforcement Section
Seattle Police Department
(206) 386-9012
July 16, 2013 at 3:14 pm #792799
WFMemberMyr-myr – well done! photographs and a succinct matter of fact letter got the point across to the magistrate.
July 16, 2013 at 3:36 pm #792800
Myr-myrParticipantThanks, WF. :)
July 16, 2013 at 6:14 pm #792801
CMPParticipantOddly enough, right after the original posting about this, I was at Salty’s for happy hour and decided to walk my bike up California afterwards (there’s no way I could ride up that hill, esp. after a few glasses of wine!). As I approached this intersection I saw a parking enforcement vehicle AND a SDOT vehicle parked on California, with both employees having a discussion about the parking situation. About ten yards up the hill I noticed a Honda CRV parked facing the WRONG way uphill and it did not have a ticket on the windshield. I was surprised by that since (i) it’s facing the wrong direction; (ii) it was a crooked parking job; and (iii) this discussion had just come up about tickets for parking there. So someone with SDOT was investigating it, but knowing the SDOT, there won’t be a solution for a long time to come!
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