North Texas

City of Arlington Cracks Down on Parking Nuisances

The Arlington City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to change how people can park city wide, with additional restrictions in the city's entertainment district.

The ordinances, which will take effect this summer, make it illegal to park on any city street for longer than 24 hours. The changes also allow for a car to be towed if it remains unmoved after three days.

The city council also voted to establish no-parking zones along residential streets near the Rangers' and Cowboys' stadiums, also known as the entertainment district.

"It will only take one time to have your car towed for about 350 bucks and have to go to the impound to pick it up, and you won't do that again," said District 1 Arlington City Councilman Charlie Parker.

In neighborhoods surrounding the stadiums, frustration has been building in recent years. Fans and event spectators often flock to the streets, parking on yards, driveways and blocking access.

"My neighbor came home Saturday night and he couldn't get in his driveway because there were cars parked blocking his driveway," said Michael Hotelling.

Hotelling is not sure the new law will change what he's seen the past few years unless it's consistently enforced. At the moment, he and his neighbors use cones and "no parking" signs to keep people from blocking their access.

In other neighborhoods, longtime residents remain skeptical about no longer being able to park on the street for over 24 hours.

"After 50 years I think I can park my vehicle where I want to park it," said Don Basocker.

The city of Arlington will establish which streets fall into the event and game no-parking category before the law goes into effect this summer, with signs clearly marking those areas.

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