City Council narrowed the role of the Traffic and Parking Board, a citizen advisory committee, and delegated greater authority to the city’s transportation director on Saturday, Dec. 15.
The sitting board reviewed the changes previously and recommended council approval. Council voted unanimously.
The board comprises seven council-appointed residents serving two-year terms. The City Charter had charged the board with considering “all matters concerning traffic, parking and taxicabs … prior to action by the director of transportation and environmental services or presentation to the city council.” Council adopted amendments that limit the board’s purview to “substantial changes” in those areas.
Previously, council exercised final review over issues pertaining to one-way streets, truck routes, parking meter zones, traffic lights, and prohibiting parking on more than one half of any city block. The new rules leave the first two in council’s purview, according to a staff presentation. But for the latter three, now the board’s recommendations will go to the staff department head for decision. For parking meter zones, if the board and director disagree, the decision will then go to council for adjudication.
The new rules specify that related appeals must occur within 15 days. Staff advised that most items coming before the board are relatively minor and that a longer appeals period would needlessly delay implementation.