READING., Pa. – Monday night, Reading City Council voted to extend a pause on parking violations at dangerous intersections in the city for one year.
Council decided to extend the temporary moratorium to one year on the issuance of parking violations for the no-parking restrictions at several intersections along North Fifth Street and Hampden Boulevard.
The intersections affected are: North Fifth Street and Oley Street; North Fifth Street and Douglass Street; Hampden Boulevard and Amity Street; Hampden Boulevard and Perry Street; Hampden Boulevard and College Ave./Richmond Street; and Hampden Boulevard and Robeson Street, except for the southbound lane.
The action extends a previously approved moratorium which lasted for six months.
In both districts, the issue came about from complaints from residents who feel the parking restrictions are too restrictive.
Councilmembers asked the administration to remove signage and repaint the yellow no-parking lines at the affected spaces to eliminate confusion. They also said plans to improve the line of sight at the intersections eliminated parking spots and didn’t make things safer.
The council president said she thinks the council would need to see data showing improvements before the moratorium would go away.
“Being out in Centre Park, hearing from folks out there, they’re very grateful for additional parking,” President Donna Reed said. “They were very, somewhat, I think horrified when they saw the length of those yellow lines at those intersections, and I think they’re grateful for this moratorium, but again, the data is what’s going to drive our decisions.”
Police promotions
In other business, council voted to promote three members of the police department.
Officer Macklin Stoddard was promoted to the rank of sergeant; Sgt. William Pletcher was promoted to the rant of lieutenant, and Lt. Melville Fegely was promoted to the rank of captain.