Deadline Soon Approaching for Riverside Residential Parking Permit Petitions

The Riverside Neighborhood Association (RNA) is launching a pilot program for its new Residential Permit Parking (RPP) from the Parking Authority of Baltimore City (PABC). A petition drive has been underway in recent months to sign up blocks in the pilot area of Fort Ave. to Randall St. (south to north) and Light St. to Battery Ave. (east to west) to launch the program. The deadline for those petitions is Friday, February 1st.

Each block in RPP must have 60% of the residents sign a petition and RNA volunteers are currently canvassing to petition residents in the pilot area. Once the pilot program is launched, all blocks within RNA will become eligible to petition into the newly-formed Area 48 RPP.

RNA Parking Chairman Jeffrey Brown said good progress has been made on some blocks, but not others. He said, “the main challenge for the RNA volunteers has been getting residents to open their doors, which is not surprising given the time of year and the weather.  Among those residents that volunteers have been able to reach the response has been very positive.”

He noted that because of the neighborhood’s proximity to the stadiums, city code does not require that block faces (one side of a block, odd or even side) be unanimous in adopting RPP, or that RPP blocks be contiguous. Brown is hoping individual blocks or sides of blocks do not become “orphaned” so RNA is stepping up its efforts in the coming days.

RNA is hosting a petition signing event tomorrow at The Garden Restaurant at 1501 Light St. from 9am to 11am. John Pare and Erin Chrest will be collecting signatures.

RNA is also inviting those interested in signing to attend the community meeting this coming Monday from 7pm to 8pm at Salem Lutheran Church at 1530 Battery Ave.

Brown provided the following rundown of blocks in the pilot program, as well as the points of contact:

Please note that only those residing (owner or renters) the RPP pilot area (block faces listed below) are eligible to sign, one per household.

Volunteers (Contact them to sign):
100 & 200 East Randall St – Jeff Brown (410) 402-4522
100 @ 200 East Fort Ave (odd side only) Karen Bovie 410-230-0199
1500 Light Street – Erin Chrest (443) 301-8092
1500 Byrd Street – Mary Wargo (603) 860-5919
1500 William Street – John Pare (410) 917-1965
1500 Battery Avenue (odd side only) – Jen McLaughlin (410) 271-6939

Blocks over 60% Threshold
107-121 E. Fort Ave (Even)
204-211 E. Fort Ave (Even)*
213-221 East Fort Avenue (odd)*
102-114 East Randall Street (even)
103-163 East Randall Street (odd)*
200 East Randall Street (even)
1500 William Street (even)
1500 William Street (odd)
*These block are just barely over 60%, more signatures would help with verification

Blocks Under 60%
123-137 East Fort Avenue (odd)
116-136 East Randall Street (even)
1500 Byrd Street (even)
1500 Byrd Street (odd)
1500 Battery Avenue (odd)

Waiting for Report, See RNA Connect Facebook group for updates
1500 Light Street (even)
1500 Light Street (odd)

Given that many of the pilot blocks are close to or above the 60% approval level required by the City (pending signature verification), RNA anticipates that at least part of the pilot area will go forward and become new RPP Area #48.

via https://www.southbmore.com/2019/01/25/deadline-soon-approaching-for-riverside-residential-parking-permit-petitions/