After a long fight, signs of victory: Parking limits on Barton

| Neighborhoods | Transportation | West Seattle news | Westwood

Two things about that photo of the south side of Barton, alongside Roxhill Park across from Westwood Village, are notable — what you see, and what you don’t see. What you do see: Shiny new “4-Hour Parking” signs, as promised to the Westwood Neighborhood Council and other activists (here’s our report from earlier this month; there also had been an update last month when we covered the West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting). What you don’t see, as a result of the new signs: The makeshift used-car-sales lot (and RV park) eyesore and safety risk that this stretch had been (note the empty space in our photo – we pulled over just past the Metro bus parking zone on the west edge of the block).

Mary T April 29, 2008 (1:56 pm)

I was wondering how long that would take! It reallyw was looking ridiculous there.

Bonnie April 29, 2008 (1:58 pm)

That’s great. Now what about all the ferry commuters who park their cars along Barton west of 35th? That is not a ferry commuters parking lot.

KM April 29, 2008 (2:02 pm)

Yeay! Positive progress and improvement. Nice to see a solution happen for what has been such a problem spot.

toomanyratsinacageakaWS April 29, 2008 (2:10 pm)

Nice! How soon can we get a parking limitation on the hill going up Admiral Way? :)

Irukandji April 29, 2008 (2:39 pm)

Yes, Admiral Way, too!

chris April 29, 2008 (2:45 pm)

Good deal. I could not agree more with the same on ADMIRAL WAY.

It is a real danger when big trucks and RV’s are parked there blocking vision.

It is also very dangerous when folks are looking at the cars and walking on the street side.

It is no good for several reasons.

Koni April 29, 2008 (3:22 pm)

The signs are great, but, unfortunately the cars for sale that were parked there have simply moved a half block west on Barton and are now sitting in front of people’s houses 24/7. We need to create stronger penalties for these “lotless” car dealers! They are a plague!

todd in westwood April 29, 2008 (3:56 pm)

has anyone ever called the number on the cars? I would totally do it to waste the guy’s time.

“Yeah, I saw your car for sale, umm, can I test drive it? When can you come down? I will be standing near it” ( yeah right!)

John M. April 29, 2008 (4:10 pm)

Todd, I love your style. Once a day should be worth it.

Sally April 29, 2008 (4:22 pm)

Noticed the signs last week, AND got to experience trying to pull out of the Westwood parking lot with 3 school buses parked on the North side of Barton. Can’t say it was an improvement!

WestwoodWriter April 29, 2008 (4:38 pm)

The transformation that block is fantastic! Though, the truck pictured in the photo parked in the distance has been parked there constantly or frequently for a week. It appears ticketless, yet it’s always there when I drive by. The parking enforcement buggies have been spotted much more frequently on this block in the photo.

However, it is true that MOST of the cars formerly parked in the park/Westwood Village block have indeed been moved one block west to a residential block that includes a boarded up house.

I want to applaud the community and city for their actions, but it’s just made the same problem someone else’s problem.

Mike Dady April 29, 2008 (5:37 pm)

Kudos to the Westwood Neighborhood Council and all the other folks who put in the time to make this happen. Perhaps an RPZ is in order for the area to the west that is now being impacted by the car ranchers?

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/parkingrpz.htm

Todd April 29, 2008 (10:33 pm)

Car farmers suck. Maybe if everyone drops a dime on these bums they will run out of places to stash their cars.

Paul April 29, 2008 (10:54 pm)

well lets see if they actually ticket. They NEVER ticket the 2 hour zone in front of our laundry on 35th. There are people that park there for up to 2 days and nothing. I have called and called and called and get nobody out to help.

todd in westwood April 30, 2008 (6:00 am)

Most of the cars here are not just normal people sellling an extra car or truck.
Anyone ever notice, all the numbers on the cars are the same. It is kind of a scam. I fell for it in Los Angeles with a Saab 900.
The person selling is most likely a car salesman by day, taking these cars in on trade. They are not in good condition, so they become a liability to the car sales lot under the Washington State Lemon Law. http://www.carlemon.com/lemon/WA_LemonGuide.html
So they make that person sell the car “privately”
I bought a Saab 900 from a dude in Los Angeles. I never noticed the for sale signs up and down the block had the same number. The title on the car was in some girl’s name. He said it was his sister. ect , ect, ect.

live and learn i guess.

changingtimes April 30, 2008 (2:18 pm)

i had an abandonded car outside my house last year, i just called the abandonded car hotline and they came and got it id say a week or so later.

toomanyratsinacageakaWS April 30, 2008 (2:47 pm)

Hey Paul, I have called too, to no avail. The city not enforcing the law is rewarding the behavior and guess who gets inconvenienced? Yep, you and I. I can’t tell you how many tinmes I have not gone to a business becuase I could not park within a few blocks. Seriously selfish people.
This is a bit off topic but related to parking cars for days just not selling them.. What is it with Car Farmers? Those peeps that buy 3 or 4 old police cruisers at auction then stash them around the neighborhood like around Anodover and California? It is against the law to park for more that 72 hours on the street. Car Farmers and parking enforcemnt don’t even obey this, they wait until a citizen calls it in then they put an orange sticker on the car. The farmer then just moved the car across the street and it all starts over again. WTF?! Why have more cars than you can drive? Why park them in places other than your home/apt/condo/townhouse? Why do this day after day year after year while the vehicle you don’t drive except to skirt the 72 hour law depreciates in value? I mean it’s a free country but I just don’t get it. It’s like fishing without bait.. what’s the point? Got a good deal on the price? Leaving the money in your wallet is a better deal I think.

toomanyratsinacageakaWS April 30, 2008 (2:57 pm)

I never thought I’d be infavor of a RPZ but I guess I am now. I have a driveway and I use it. If everyone just was mature enough to play by the rules we wouldn’t have to stoop so low as to babysit adults. But, as with everything if you don’t buckle down on people some will take advantage and ruin it for everyone else.
It is a shame that the problem just migrated to another block. We do need stiffer penalties for lotless car dealers and for those that just have too many cars for whatever reason and don’t want to or can’t stash them where the eat, sleep, and do their toileting. Just playing the cat and mouse in open view game does not work by definition. How do these jokers get the orange tag off so quickly? Parking “enforcement” needs to come up with a fine or something to motivate these farmers.
Sorry to hear about your bus problem. Blocking views of cars is just one reason why “I loathe the bus(es).”