PORTLAND – Some Parkside residents hope new parking restrictions will ease congestion in the neighborhood on evenings when the Portland Sea Dogs play at nearby Hadlock Field.
A one-hour parking limit on parts of seven streets will be in effect from 5 to 9 p.m. daily through September.
“Residents wanted some relief,” city spokesman Peter DeWitt said. “It was a significant inconvenience on game nights.”
Nonresidential parking will be curtailed on sections of Valley, Gilman, Forest, Boynton, Weymouth, Grant and St. John streets.
“If you live here, you should be able to park here,” said Robin Crosby, a Grant Street resident. “If they’re going to the game they should park over there.”
DeWitt said a parking control officer will monitor parking in the neighborhood. Ticketing will begin this week.
Residents of the area may obtain parking stickers from the city’s parking control office at City Hall.
Around the dense neighborhood other facilities such as Maine Medical Center and Fitzpatrick Stadium also draw traffic.
“If there’s stuff going on at the Expo or the ice arena or the track, these streets are packed,” said Tammy Michaud of Boynton Street.
Michaud said she has mixed feelings about the new restrictions.
“If you have a friend in for whatever, you have to accommodate them,” she said. “Basically, the whole summer, they’ll have to keep moving their car.”
Sea Dogs’ management supports the parking rules.
“All along we’ve wanted the neighbors to be happy,” said Charles Eshbach, Sea Dogs president and general manager.
On Friday, Mike Roberts of South Portland was headed to the game against the Binghamton Mets with his daughter and son when he chose a small lot on Forest Street that charged $5.
“This is the easy way,” he said.
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