Read more: Local, Parking, Tickets, Carty Finkbeiner, Gravel, Driveways, Paved, Cars, Ticketing, Fines, Toledo, Municipal Code
TOLEDO, OHIO -- Numerous Toledo residents are unsure why they were ticketed for parking in their gravel driveways last week.
The $25 tickets, issued by the Division of Street, Bridges & Harbor, were in response to a City of Toledo ordinance that makes it illegal to park anywhere except paved surfaces-- including gravel driveways with a few expceptions.
According to the Toledo Municipal Code, there are only two exemptions when parking on a gravel surface. It is only acceptable on uncurbed roads where an area has been graveled to fit one car parked parallel to the road. Also, buildings built before 1959 are not required to convert their gravel driveways to paved surfaces. Only driveways and parking lots built after the 1959 enactment of the Toledo Zoning Code must be surfaced with a dust-free material other than gravel or loose fill.
In all other circumstances, residents should expect a ticket if they are parked in an undesignated area noted by the city or angle parked or parked perpendicular to the street on any surface or lawn other than a paved driveway.
Despite grief from citizens and a councilman who says he'll pay residents' parking tickets, the City of Toledo says they support all laws in place and that all illegally parked vehicles can and will be ticketed.
The strict rules were enacted due to health regulations prohibiting parking on lawns to prevent drippage into the water table. Neighborhood property values decrease when cars are parked on lawns as well.
Still confused where to park without risking a fine?
The full text of the parking regulations can be found in part three, title seven of the Toledo Municipal Code.
--Kristen Zenz
