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Village of Lansing officials are considering new regulations that would create 'No Parking' zones around the Village, largely on streets that intersect with Warren or Triphammer Roads.  The new regulations would require the Village to erect signs in about 16 areas that are being considered, and establish fines for illegal parking.

"I don't think anybody's doing this because it's a revenue source," said Village Attorney David Dubow.  "It became clear that there are safety issues.  It is to create 'No Parking' restrictions and then sign it properly.  The law says if you have parking restrictions you have to have signs so the public will know."


Currently the Village has only two areas with restricted parking.  One is on Bush Lane from the Brook Way intersection 450 feet east.  The last one is Wedgewood Drive south of the Beckett Way intersection, a cul de sac area near the Ithaca Mall that Village officials thought was established to prevent people from parking in the neighborhood so they could walk to the Mall.


Trustee Julie Baker was not so sure whether that is still a problem.  "If there is no need for a sign it's an expense we could do without," she said.  "I think it's unfriendly, especially in a residential area."

"Now we have a new Triphammer Road," noted Planning Board Chairman Ned Hickey.  "There may not be a need for 'No Parking' signs there because people may not be using it any more."

In addition to the two that are already on the books, new 'No Parking' areas could include sections of Horizon Drive, Burdick Hill Road, Brook Way, Craft Road, Oakcrest Road, Hickory Hollow Road, Catherwood Road.


There are three issues the Village will have to deal with.  First, the impetus for new restrictions is safety.  For example Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer Ben Curtis says there have been accidents on the intersection of Burdick Hill Road and Triphammer, and that he has observed that visibility and maneuverability is exacerbated by overflow parking from the synagogue on that intersection. 

The second issue is buying and erecting 'No Parking' signs so that drivers know there is a prohibition.  Officials worried that the signs will make neighborhoods less attractive, and that purchasing, erecting, and maintaining the signs would be an expense for the Village.  Hickey says that as many as 40 new signs may be needed.

The third issue is enforcement.  The Village doesn't have a police force, and would have to rely on an already strapped Tompkins County Sheriff's Department to issue parking tickets.  Officials say deputies have issued tickets when the Village has requested it, and some seemed confident they could rely on more enforcement service.  The Village also doesn't have a court, meaning that people would pay their fines to the Town court, which gets to keep that money.

"Arguably the Sheriff's Department has an obligation to provide law enforcement in the Village," Dubow said.

"I personally would not like to have a 'No Parking' sign in my neighborhood," Baker said.  "I just think it's unfriendly.  If I had to come home and see the sign it would irritate me."

In a joint Village Trustees/Planning Board meeting earlier this month officials considered specific locations in anticipation of amending the current law.  Officials stressed that while the new restrictions could look like the Village doesn't want large assemblies at places like the synagogue or a church that is moving into the old Bishop's Hardware store, that safety is their only motivation.

"In many cases it was brought about by the anticipation of problems," Hickey said.  "It's not trying to be punitive.  We're trying to make sure that we're operating on safety."

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