Broad Ripple Parking Meter Woes: By Alan Hague

At least nine parking meters in a row from Guilford to the west along Broad Ripple Avenue are out of order. The meters flash an out of order message on one side and a P with a red slash in a circle on the other. This delivery boy had a hard time delivering last week because of this state of the Village meters. I have had my share of parking tickets while delivering and am unwilling to risk another (the subject of a future editorial). The red circle with a slash is the international symbol for DON'T. Placing that over a capital P tells this reporter (yes, the delivery boy is also a reporter) that there is no parking at those meters while they are broken.

I called the City of Indianapolis and spoke with Eric Jackson, director of parking meters for the Department of Public Works. I told Jackson that one meter was jammed with coins in the coin slot and had apparently been broken so long that patrons had taped multiple signs on the meter stating "Yep, still broken!" Jackson said that it is legal to park at a broken meter. The meter officers investigate the state of the meter and will not issue a ticket when coins are jammed in the slot or the meter is flashing that it is out of order. I explained that the message on the meter included the NO PARKING symbol. He said he would have that message reprogrammed because parking is allowed. Jackson added that if a broken meter is repaired while a car is parked there, the meter will be set to a 2-hour setting. If the car remains at the meter past that "free" two-hour period a ticket will be issued.

The canal project that has been the major force behind the openings and closures of Westfield Blvd. is currently being delayed due to unaqcuired construction permits being delayed.

"We are presently working on several permit issues with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and we anticipate closing Westfield Blvd. within the next 30 days," Denny Lenahan, senior project manager for DPW-Engineering said.

If anyone is inclined to write, e-mail, telephone, or fax the Mayor's office in support of past, current or future tree plantings in Broad Ripple, please write:

The Honorable Gregory A. Ballard

Mayor, City of Indianapolis

2501 City-County Building

200 E. Washington Street

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

http://www.indygov.org/eGov/Mayor/contact.htm

Phone: (317) 327-3601