A Residential Permit Parking Program (RPP) is designed to respond to the needs of a neighborhood whose permanent residents have a problem finding legal curbside parking, by giving them preference to the limited number of spaces within their neighborhood.
The object of the RPP program is to prevent non-resident commuters from using residential streets as parking lots during work days. Commuter parking is typically a problem where business, educational and commercial activities take place near residential areas.
Heavy commuter parking in residential neighborhoods increases the risk of injury due to motor vehicle and motor vehicle/pedestrian accidents. Congestion makes it difficult for emergency vehicles to access residential areas. The cumulative effect is to lower the quality of life in residential areas. The Resident Permit Program attempts to relieve some of these problems. While there are positive aspects to resident-only parking, there may be misconceptions as well as shown below.
Positive Aspects of a Permit Program:
- Relieves parking pressures in residential neighborhoods.
- Controls the encroachment of institutional parking in residential areas.
- Enhances the quality of life in the neighborhoods.
- Gives residents preference to limited curb-side parking spaces.
- Eliminates unauthorized long-term (permanently parked) vehicles from designated streets.
Potential Negative Aspects of a Permit Program:
- Can be misperceived by members of the public as "private" or guaranteed parking.
- Residents may mistakenly view RPP as a panacea for the physical shortage of parking spaces.
- Can transfer parking congestion to adjacent roadways.
- Can restrict the number of visitors to an area.
- Can be restrictive to commerce, especially in mixed use neighborhoods.