PORTLAND — A City Council committee next week will discuss whether two streets in the West End that currently have unrestricted parking should be changed to two-hour zones.

City Councilor David Marshall, who represents the West End, said changing parking rules on Spruce Street and a section of Clark Street first came up at a District 2 meeting last year and he continued to hear about it from residents after that.

Marshall said a request was made to the Department of Public Services to consider the change, and he also put the request on the Jan. 19 council Transportation Committee agenda for review.

“I was hearing from people in the neighborhood who were having a hard time finding parking on those streets,” Marshall explained. He said several cars parked for long periods of time in the unrestricted zones had decals for Mercy Hospital, which is nearby on State Street.

“I think people from (Mercy) are taking advantage of the free parking,” Marshall said.

Most streets in the West End, where there are many apartment buildings without off-street parking, are posted for either two-hour or one-hour parking limits. Residents of the neighborhood can get permits that allow them to park for as long as they want.

If approved, Spruce Street and Clark Street from Pine Street to Spring Street would change to two-hour parking zones.

The Transportation Committee meets at 5 p.m. Jan. 19 in Room 209 at City Hall.

Kate Bucklin can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 106 or kbucklin@theforecaster.net

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