Motorists will get warnings in the first few weeks in these new permit parking zones

Residents living in one of five Fort Worth neighborhoods recently designated as resident-parking-only zones won’t have to pay for the program for now, the City Council learned Tuesday.

Additional details provided by city staff regarding the city ordinance, which was passed in December, were briefly discussed Tuesday. The five areas are affected by venues or places that generate a tremendous amount of traffic. Those motorists tend to park in the neighborhoods.

The program addresses safety concerns in those neighborhoods when the streets become crowded with too many cars.

The December vote essentially only set up the program, in part to be in place for the upcoming Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. The event at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in the Cultural District for many years has affected a portion of the adjacent Arlington Heights neighborhood off of Montgomery Street.

It will be the first permit zone converted to the new residential parking permit program, the city said.

“A lot of work went into this and continues to be a work in progress,” said Dennis Shingleton, mayor pro tem and whose district includes Arlington Heights. “The ordinance itself is growing. We have yet to fix a permanent cost to this. We’re trying to do that.”

Council members were unable to agree on cost for permits last month and tabled the discussion. City staff has said it could cost around $300,000 to fully implement the program in the five neighborhoods.

For now, each resident, or the property owner, is allowed up to three permits, which will be a sticker, as well as two vendor permits, which will be hangtags, for use by service providers. Residents are allowed unlimited 24-hour visitor and 30-day temporary permits, as well.

Shingleton said it hasn’t been emphasized that there are residents who don’t necessarily have to participate, even if they live in one of the zones.

“If you don’t want to park in the street and park in your driveway, park in your driveway,” he said.

Bluebonnet Hills, near Texas Christian University, and North Hi Mount, near the University of North Texas Health Science Center, also have programs, but those have been managed by the neighborhood associations. Under the new ordinance, streets in the Stockyards and the Historic Magnolia area can participate if they chose to, but only after traffic studies are done.

During normal business hours, the city’s Transportation & Public Works parking enforcement team will address violations, and the Police Department will do so the rest of the time. Before it begins issuing tickets, the city said warnings will be given during the first few weeks to make sure the public understands the rules.

Applications for the permits are required and can be made online at SP Plus website and a link to the Residential Association page, the city said. The permits expire annually on Dec. 31.

This story was originally published January 9, 2018 at 7:30 PM with the headline "Motorists will get warnings in the first few weeks in these new permit parking zones."