As many Plymouth State University students may have noticed, overnight parking is nothing short of a hassle. Primarily on weekends, there is only a small window of time to get visitor passes at the University Police Station. Often times, the line stretches out the door. For those who don’t make it in time for a pass, parking illegally holds stiff fines and often results in a tow.
“The process needs to change,” said PSU Junior David Silva. “My friends visit to have a good time, and sometimes waiting in line for a parking pass takes away from that,” he added. After only speaking with students about the matter, my views on the issue were initially biased. However, after meeting with Plymouth Police Chief Steve Temperino, he shed some light on the situation while sharing some information regarding other parking options and some tips for avoiding fines.
Temperino started off with a crucial piece of information for avoiding big tickets: Don’t park overnight on Main Street. There are always plenty of spaces open, but that’s only due to an overnight parking ban. Those who park there will get ticketed, and possibly even towed. The prospect of snowfall is the main reason behind the overnight parking ban. Currently no cars are allowed to park there overnight (between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.) because then they pose not only a risk to plow vehicle damage, but also to the entire snow removal process. When cars are parked on Main Street, plows are blocked from clearing the road and ice bumps can develop, which further inhibits parking and plowing throughout the snow season.
Though the parking ban has been in effect since September, people still haven’t completely followed these guidelines. Temperino said, “a ballpark estimate would be 10-15 tickets,” in the last week alone on Main Street after midnight. That translates into roughly $400 to $600 in citations over one week. Though the actual parking ban is controlled by the Highway Department, Temperino believes, “it’s very vital that parking is restricted after midnight.” Following up on his beliefs on the matter, he spoke about making the traffic flow even safer in the near future by having Plymouth Police Dept put “parking bags” over the meters on High Street until Spring.
For visitors who need overnight parking, Temperino suggests trying the kiosk on Green Street. This location offers 24 parking spots, within a close proximity of campus, and only costs 25 cents per hour. If you miss the opportunity for a visitor’s pass, this is definitely a great place to park.
If you or your friends slip up and wake up to find a ticket on the windshield, take time to analyze the situation, and then appeal the fine online at pymouthpd.org. Make sure to take care of all citations within seven days, or else a $30 late fee will be added to the fine. The current overnight parking ban is taking place between September 1 and June 1, which blocks parking throughout the PSU academic year. Here in New England, there is no way to tell when sunshine could become snow, making this parking policy necessary for the greater good.