January 29, 2008

Parallel Parking


The pictures shown were taken within 5min of circulating the boundary streets of one of the most important neighborhoods in Amman, Swefieh.

I am posting these pictures with comments trying to point out on the problems we have in the City. Hopefully, we understand our problems and try to give the right solutions.

I don't walk to work, like most of us, and i got so frustrated from what I experience when driving. I see drivers fighting, agressive, and mad at each other. Not a healthy way for people to interact with each other, not a healthy way of living.

Parallel parking is a major obstacle for driving in the city, it cause more traffic, and more accidents. People parallel drive either because there is no parking, or they are in a hurry and have no time searching for a spot, or loading and unloading.

This doesn't happen in the big cities but why we see it a problem here?

A solution for this is by re-structuring the transportation system in the city by providing the following solutions:

1) Focus on Green transportation alternatives and not cars: Pedestrian, and public transit.

2) More Garage parking

3) Metered parking

4) Alternative street side parking

And most important allowing drivers to curb their cars only for loading and loading or a small period of time, like 1/2 an hour. Many of the parking spots are lost due to the long term parking of the retail owners and employees.

This will improve our streets and will improve the quality of our public spaces.

Finally, I am not promoting for accomodating driving, we shall focus more on pedestrians and public transit and not imposing some driving rules.





Related Posts:
Promoting for transportation alternatives in Amman City
Parking
Amman Mini-Metro from the 1st circle to the 8th circle?
The new Traffic law

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think you mean double parking, not parallel parking. But I agree with you that something should be done to regulate and organise street parking at least in busy areas like Sweifieh, and in any case this could be such an income generator for the amaneh if done properly.

Amman Voice said...

When you organize the streets you increase the effeciency, you make the city more organized. and you improve the economy.

I am sure it's Parallel Parking, check Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_parking

"Parallel parking is a method of parking a vehicle in line with other parked cars. Cars parked in parallel are in one line, parallel to the curb, with the front bumper of each car facing the back bumper of an adjacent one. Parallel parking always has the car parallel to the curb and other cars."

Anonymous said...

I think Onzlo is referring to the second to last picture which shows the truck "double parked" alongside the white Mercedez and the last picture which shows another truck "double parked" alongside the grey sedan.

Amman Voice said...

Yes, double parking is the right term here. While Parallel Parking is the practice of parking the car parallel to the curb, double parking is the illegal practice of parking a vehicle to the side of a row of vehicles that is already parked next to the curb.

Thank you Onzlo, and " Anonymous".