Parental warning: Don’t even think about double parking!
$250 tickets are in store for violators of the new law
Above: This type of double parking is not covered under the new ordinance.
Summer’s over and the Baltimore Department of Transportation is threatening $250 tickets for those who double-park on the streets near city schools.
A law passed by the City Council last April (Section 36-4 of Article 31 of the Baltimore City Code) is now in effect.
“The new legislation allows the city to impose a $250 fine on motorists that park, stop or stand in a manner which obstructs or impedes the free flow of traffic by school grounds,” DOT says.
“This includes areas around kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools between the hours of 7:00-9:00 a.m. and 2:00-5:00 p.m. on school days. The legislation enables officers to issue citations for this offence without first providing a written warning.”
The press release says that double-parking not only endangers children, but “often exacerbates aggressive driving in school zones, as motorists try to pass the illegally stopped vehicles.”
Next on DOT’s to-do list: speed cameras, suspended for the last 2½ years due to inaccurate readings, around school zones.