Kitty Vernon Traffic Management Division

Controlled Parking Zones - why review?

What are the issues?

The main issues are:

how to sign parking controls on-street

The main issues are: how to sign parking controls on-street how to ensure that the provisions in TSRGD and TSM are appropriate for traffic authorities to provide the appropriate signing on-street how to sign parking controls on-street how to ensure that the provisions in TSRGD and TSM are appropriate for traffic authorities to provide the appropriate signing on-street

Parking controls are:

a Good Thing!

Parking controls are: a Good Thing! a necessary evil? a Good Thing! a necessary evil?

Parking controls are: spreading

Parking controls are: spreading here to stay spreading here to stay

Parking controls are: more varied than before

Parking controls are: more varied than before more difficult to comprehend more varied than before more difficult to comprehend

Parking controls are: more varied than before more difficult to comprehend more rigorously enforced more varied than before more difficult to comprehend more rigorously enforced

What are the implications for CPZ signing:

for drivers?

What are the implications for CPZ signing: for drivers? for local residents? for drivers? for local residents?

For drivers:

Zone entry signs: The basic premise of a CPZ has always been that the use of entry signs displaying the periods of control obviates the need for time plates with yellow lines within the zone.

Zone entry signs: For drivers who are unfamiliar with the area, and concentrating on other aspects of the driving task, it can no longer be assumed that entry signs alone are adequate to provide information about the zonal yellow line restriction.

Zone entry signs: are not sufficiently conspicuous

Zone entry signs: are not sufficiently conspicuous are often obscured by other street features or vegetation are not sufficiently conspicuous are often obscured by other street features or vegetation

Zone entry signs: are not sufficiently conspicuous are often obscured by other street features or vegetation contain more information than drivers can assimilate and remember are not sufficiently conspicuous are often obscured by other street features or vegetation contain more information than drivers can assimilate and remember

Zone entry signs: Zones are often too big for drivers to remember what the restrictions were by the time they reach their intended destination, or even where the last sign was.

Zone entry signs: Some authorities give the same zone name to adjoining zones with different yellow line restrictions, because the same permits are valid in each.

Even though CPZs have been around for 40 years, drivers don’t really know what they are - unless they themselves live in one, or have been issued with a PCN or fixed penalty ticket for contravening a zonal yellow line restriction.

It seems unlikely that strangers visiting a CPZ would understand that zone entry signs show the times of yellow line operation, or be able to assimilate and remember the periods of control.

Since TSRGD 1994 introduced a revised yellow line system, single yellow lines mean any restriction short of a 24/7 prohibition of waiting for at least 4 consecutive months.

Drivers entering a CPZ only have entry signs to tell them what a single yellow line means. If they miss the entry sign they don’t even know where to look for information about the restrictions, let alone what the restrictions are...

Some zones around football grounds etc now have additional restrictions on match/ event days. The events occur irregularly and event days have to be indicated on additional signs.

The times shown on signs indicating a prohibition of waiting overnight by HGVs (diagram 640.2A) do not indicate the times of operation of adjacent yellow lines.

Implications for local residents:.

The statutory definition of a CPZ means that controls - waiting restrictions and permitted parking - have to be marked out in every street.

'controlled parking zone' means an area in which, except where parking places have been provided, every road has been marked with one or more of the road markings shown in diagrams 1017, , 1019 and ;

and into which each entrance for vehicular traffic has been indicated by a sign shown in diagram 663 or

There may not be room to mark out bays in narrow streets and culs-de- sac.

Even in wider streets, the provision of signs and lines may result in unacceptable clutter where there are many driveways interrupting parking spaces. The treatment of dropped kerbs - to mark with a yellow line or not - is an issue.

How and whether to sign parking controls where a Home Zone is surrounded by a CPZ is a particularly difficult issue.

And, in London, how to sign side roads where a CPZ has been severed by a red route.

The main issues are: how to sign parking controls on-street how to ensure that the provisions in TSRGD and TSM are appropriate for traffic authorities to provide the appropriate signing on-street how to sign parking controls on-street how to ensure that the provisions in TSRGD and TSM are appropriate for traffic authorities to provide the appropriate signing on-street

How to sign parking controls on-street: drivers looking for somewhere to park need to be able to consult signs near where they want to park

How to modify TSRGD: the current statutory definition of a CPZ is outmoded, and too inflexible