As part of the introduction of our street cars the city is proposing an amendment to the existing vehicle and traffic ordinance that would make parking at any place along the street car routes illegal unless the area has been specifically marked to allow parking.
From the proposed ordinance amendment:
“Except as provided in 12.90.50 below … no person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle on any side of a street within the Streetcar Route.”
The penalty?
“a fine not to exceed 500 dollars”
Be warned.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Not worried about it. I no longer go downtown. Let the hipsters pay the fines.
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First, they fail to seek input regarding a route for this dumb idea. Then, they arbitrarily choose a ridiculous route that serves no one. Then, after their choice and construction nearly done, and only then, they solicit input as to “what businesses” citizens would like to see along the route (thus, putting that proverbial cart before the horse; or, is that closing the barn door after the horse got out?). And, now, they move to prevent parking all along the very poorly chosen route? The entire project reminds me of that old sign that reads “PLAN AHEAd” because there is not enough room on the paper to fit all the letters. We do indeed deserve better.
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The “ridiculous route” serves a number of people. You just aren’t one of them unless you own property and businesses along the route. If you want to follow the money, follow the trolley.
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Just like the railroad “quiet zones”, the city is giving preferences to their self-proclaimed “public transportation” for a route that 99% of the public will never need to take. People will be killed by the trolleys as well. Thank Beto O’Rourke and his father-in-law for the trolleys. For those with short memories, O’Rourke proposed the streetcars years ago when he was on city council promoting eminent domain as a means of taking over downtown properties for his father-in-law’s group of investors. Cronyism is nothing if not alive and well in El Paso, Texas.
However, they are running out of other people’s money…
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This sounds like a comment that could have been written by the campaign to re-elect Peter. Oh, s***! Blame it on Beto because he once mentioned streetcars.
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People will be killed by the Trolleys? Really? How do you envision such a thing? As for trying to blame this stupid idea on Beto, or his father, wow! I seem to recall many efforts over the years to bring back the trolleys, but I do not believe that O’Rourke Senior proposed a route as ridiculous as the one we now have. All previous proposals, as far as I can recall, included the idea of the Trolleys as transportation, and even mentioned how their route used to include our neighbors across the border. I think you need to look elsewhere to pin the blame on this one.
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this decision was made AFTER several instances of trolleys not being able to negotiate their wide turns because of parked vehicles.
shoot first ask questions later…
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Recycling Western Playland, a third-rate amusement park, might make you and a few people happy, but it will not improve quality of life. Move on.
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Read the comments on the post. Bringing WP back to Ascarate will makes 1000s of El Paso families happy while helping to revitalize a part of EP that needs it WHILE costing El Pasoans next to nothing. QOL doesn’t need to cost 10s and 100s of millions to taxpayers in my book.
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Comments to any blog post are neither a scientifically accurate survey nor an accurate reflection of community-wide sentiment. Your blog posts are preaching to your choir. A few non-believers occasionally chime in to lob a few grenades and have fun at your expense by pissing you off. If you took all the comments on this blog as representative scientific evidence of how most El Pasoans think, you would also get a distorted view of what El Paso thinks and wants.
If you think traffic congestion and some of the other negative things that come with amusement park crowds is good way to revitalize an area, I’m glad I do not live near Ascarte. It would cost taxpayers because WP would ask for tax breaks just like downtown developers you so despise. WP left because they wanted a better deal from government and couldn’t get it. Maybe you’re okay with taxpayer subsidies for certain people and for your ideas.
Your Old El Paso ain’t coming back. Suck it up and find some good or you’re going to be miserable.
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They just want you to pay to park in the city owned garages. I just don’t go downtown anymore.
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No, Paul wants you to park in his garage and lot. Woody will soon offer you paid parking in his tower. Those trying to profit most simply can’t relate to the parking issue because of blindness, disregard, and the fact that they have reserved parking spots.
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How many spaces does this eliminate? You could be right?
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BRUTUS:
Did you miss this item, when you recently posted the
City’s Legislative Agenda items under the blog item on school consolidation?
“Priority Legislative Initiatives
8. Propose legislation that will fund feasibility studies related to a multi-modal international transportation system between El Paso and Juarez that will enhance the human capital.”
This item maybe a slight of hand wording ‘euphemism’ to slip expanding that street car route into Juarez.
Didn’t local taxpayers get SHAFTED, when the County built that new international ‘port of entry’ in far East El Paso; but our Mexican counter parts did not meet their corresponding commitment to fully build the necessary road and port infrastructure on their side of the border?
So just how reliable with they be now, if that Westside city representative continues to push to expand the street car line into Juarez?
That might be an interesting ELECTION discussion topic for the up coming city council election.
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First you have to get the street car conductor to show up. It’s hard to ask him questions when he is a no show for forums. His campaign strategy is to spend big on media financed by special interests and to keep his head low unless he knows it is a friendly crowd. He also likes pizza parties. He might win because the opposing votes are going to be split among too many candidates.
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Exactly right…divide and conquer. Ms Lizzy has the same strategy…
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Another good reason not to go DOWNTOWN !!!
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Actually, we don’t know what we have been voting for. The Plan is never really revealed to us, just the costs, e.g., a multipurpose performing whatever – $180MM – for a MS team. The trolley, who knows what it is for as it obviously isn’t a transportation system. If it were one, it would connect the west side with UTEP, DTEP, the border, MCA and the east side malls. Transit systems work when they connect about 20% of people with their place of work, like you see in NYC and the Loop in Chicago (though that may not be accurate now; it was in 1970 when I took the El from Evanston to my work in the Loop).
Little by little, the Plan unfolds. Now no parking along the route. Next, no food service outside of DTEP?
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“A $500 fine for interfering with their little trolley car”?? These clowns at Silly Hall never fail to come up with more EXCUSES to bleed the people of El Taxo of every penny, nickel THEY can TAKE from US. Election day WE need to kick every one of THEM out. Every one that WE can get rid of, the better for US, including Margo, who just lets all the inherent corruption happen and does nothing for the PEOPLE.
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Meanwhile, most offenders never pay their tickets because the city doesn’t enforce payment and low-income persons can no longer be jailed for failure to pay.
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Many houses that have limited parking on the trolley route lost spaces because of the “bike path” which to me looks dangerous and now more spaces are being eliminated. I really feel sorry for those homeowners along the trolley route. I am not an engineer but an idiot could look at the tracks around the Walgreens parking and know it wasn’t going to work!! On another note, how much money the city spends maintaining the landscaping along country club between Doniphan and the river can you find that out?
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When homeowners along the route have finally had enough, Peter’s developer friends will be there to take their properties off their hands.
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