Starting in May, owners of full-sized pickup trucks and extended vans will face fines for parking in the angled spots in a three-block stretch of downtown Sioux Falls, SD.
In other words, Ford F-150s, Dodge Rams, and other trucks with ambitious proportions could get tickets if their tailgates or hitches block traffic in a prime stretch of downtown.
The Sioux Falls City Council adopted a new ordinance that requires drivers to leave at least 10 feet of clearance between their vehicles and the center line of the roadway when parking in a section of Phillips Avenue.
“There are about 4,000 public parking spots in downtown Sioux Falls, so there’s well over 3,800 places for people to park,” said Councilor Jennifer Sigette. “We definitely want people to still feel very comfortable coming to downtown, shopping, eating, enjoying all the amenities we have, but we want it to be as safe as possible for not only the general public, but obviously police and firefighters.”
In approving their new rules, Sioux Falls officials pointed to Rapid City, SD, which in 2022 imposed similar parking restrictions for angled parking spaces on its main street.
Parking issues are covered regularly in the pages of Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter.
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