Reading residents will continue to be spared parking fines near several intersections on Hampden Boulevard and North Fifth Street.
City Council voted unanimously Monday to extend a temporary moratorium for another year while officials continue developing long-term traffic safety improvements for the state roads.
Council approved the measure following weeks of discussion over whether the parking restrictions will improve safety or simply reduced already scarce neighborhood parking.
The one-year extension applies to no-parking zones near the intersections of North Fifth with Oley and Douglas streets, and Hampden Boulevard at Amity, Perry and Richmond streets and the northbound lane at the intersection of Robeson Street.
The southbound lane at Hampden Boulevard and Robeson Street remains excluded from the moratorium because of ongoing safety concerns.
No-parking restrictions were originally installed following PennDOT-supported traffic safety reviews intended to improve sight distance at intersections along Hampden Boulevard and North Fifth Street. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
The restrictions were originally installed following PennDOT-supported traffic safety reviews intended to improve sight distance at intersections on the two state-owned roads. Council first suspended enforcement in December after residents objected to losing curbside parking while the painted no-parking zones remained in place.
During previous discussions before Monday’s vote, Councilman O. Christopher Miller questioned whether visibility, rather than speeding, is the primary factor in crashes along North Fifth Street.
“It’s more a question of the speed of the cars on Fifth Street,” Miller said, noting he is unaware of any additional crashes at Fifth and Douglas streets during the six-month moratorium.
Residents along Hampden Boulevard have voiced similar concerns.
Anthony Carrozza, who has lived on the boulevard for more than three decades, said speeding and reckless driving, not parked vehicles, are responsible for most crashes. He argued that removing parked cars has widened the road and encouraged motorists to drive even faster.
Councilman Raymond Baker has supported extending the moratorium while emphasizing that some intersections on Hampden Boulevard continue to present legitimate sight-distance concerns.
City officials said traffic studies for both corridors have been completed and reviewed by the Local Traffic Advisory Committee. The city is pursuing grant funding for traffic-calming projects before making permanent decisions about parking restrictions.
Before Monday’s vote, Miller sought clarification that repainting curbs to reflect the moratorium would not eliminate standard corner parking restrictions required for safety.
Council President Donna Reed noted motorists still will not be permitted to park immediately adjacent to intersections.