City wants $25 to park in front of my own house?

A NEW injustice is occurring in Albuquerque as the city is imposing a new $25-per-year fee on parking permits within certain neighborhoods.

In most parts of Albuquerque, residents park on the street without a permit. The city has recognized that some neighborhoods are vulnerable to parking problems due to adjacent activities, with permits being required in neighborhoods near Downtown, the fairgrounds and University of New Mexico. Without the permits, residents in those neighborhoods will find it difficult to park near their homes and the neighborhoods will have additional traffic as people search for parking spaces, increasing the danger to children in those neighborhoods, for example.

On-street parking is particularly important in the Spruce Park neighborhood, where I live, because our older houses often have only a one-car garage and some residences have no garage at all.

There is no justification for charging our residents for a permit to park on the street while letting people in other neighborhoods park on the street without a permit and, therefore, for free. Moreover, without paying $25 for a permit, it will be illegal for a resident of Spruce Park to park in front of their own house. Issuing the permits requires very little effort on the part of the city, yet provides substantial benefits to the residents ... while making neighborhoods safer due to less traffic. We strongly encourage the city to reverse this policy and continue issuing permits for free in these limited neighborhoods. ALLEN M. PARKMAN

Acting president, Spruce Park Neighborhood Association (Editor’s note: A city news release Friday said the charge is to get a permit online and getting one in person is free.)