Decatur has eliminated parking on one side of Melrose Avenue, after residents contacted Fire Chief Toni Washington, who agreed two-sided parking hindered the passage of fire trucks, emergency vehicles and ambulances.
Washington recommended that cars park only on Melrose’s west side and City Manager Peggy Merriss approved it during a recent city commission meeting.
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve been directly involved in a traffic-safety issue,” Merriss said. “Melrose is narrow, only 24 feet wide curb to curb. The maximum width where a city manager makes a decision is 30 feet. More than that, it goes before the commission.”
Melrose is in one of the city’s oldest residential neighborhoods, running parallel to Drexel Avenue, which already has one-sided parking only.
Merriss says she isn’t sure when the city will post the “no parking” signage on Melrose.
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