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Hickory back-in parking to be enforced

Denton drivers face challenge of new paring policy on recently reopened Hickory Street. However, new street not living up to the hype due to fines

 

April 8, 2015

By: Jabari Hendricks

Denton drivers face challenge of new paring policy on recently reopened Hickory Street. However, new street not living up to the hype due to fines

One of the most intimidating portions of the Texas state driving test is parallel parking. If a driver fails this particular portion, he or she automatically fails the whole test and must wait the required three months before scheduling a make-up test. Parallel parking instills fear in all who seek the freedoms and benefits of having a driver’s license. After passing the parallel parking portion of the test, many drivers aim to avoid the practice altogether, but now Denton drivers will be facing a new challenge, back-in parking. With a new parking regulation in force, Denton drivers will also face additional fees for not abiding by the new policy.

Hickory Street, located in downtown Denton, has recently undone construction and now provides additional parking spaces, free for a limited two hour window. The city spent an estimated three million dollar budget on the plans. Back in July 2013, citizens of the city of Denton showed excitement of the additional parking spaces and safety measurements (especially to bikers) that would come about. Since the reopening of Hickory Street, it has been reported that over 25 percent of civilians have had difficulty with its new parking regulations.

Following the completion of  construction in March 2015, the Denton police department issued a news statement that officers will begin issuing $25 citations to drivers who fail to rear-end park. All vehicles are prohibited from parking to where the head of the vehicle is facing towards local businesses. Large vehicles that block the roadway are also subject to receive a ticket. The charge on the ticket will read “failing to park as designated,” shared Denton police spokesman Ryan Grelle.

According to Grelle, the department has not received any personal feedback, but comments on its social media pages have expressed both approval and disapproval. Some have argued that the concept of backing up to park is fairly easy. Several benefits have proven to come from rear-end parking, such as the creation of additional space, the elimination of blind spots, and the safety of that having the back end of a car to the curb, which allows shoppers to load their cars and drivers to safely exit their parking spots.

Those who have expressed skepticism in regards to having to rear-end park mainly consist of those who are unfamiliar with the concept. One of the main disadvantages that this new regulation can cause is traffic congestion, as rear-end parking requires one driver to yield to another, especially on a narrow two-lane street such as Hickory.

In response to the concerns of the public, the City of Denton now provides tips on how to properly parallel park, which can located on their Facebook page. Those who face troubles with rear-end parking are encouraged to drive to Hickory Street around a mellower and less crowed time in order to practice their skills. The City of Denton also extends an invitation to join the celebration of the end of the construction of E. Hickory Street today at 4 p.m. Attendees will meet at the Wells Fargo building, located on the corner of Locust and Hickory. Mayor Watts will give his remarks, after which a mini parade will take place on E. Hickory Street, where some of the antique cars from the parade will be used to demonstrate how to properly parallel park. Hickory Street Lounge, located at 212 E. Hickory St., will serve complimentary champagne after the ceremony.

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