It’s the dreaded time of year again when the city of Portland reinstitutes its weekly on-street parking ban for the sake of what it calls “street cleaning.”

In its newly released notice, the city reiterates that it’s “making a renewed effort to achieve street sweeping operations on each street twice a month, and therefore cars will be subject to ticketing and towing.”

In the last five years I’ve lived in my (perpetually more expensive) Parkside apartment, this street cleaning has been non-existent. Leaves, garbage, recyclables, branches and other city residue is left on the side of the street as cars are ticketed for being parked there between 12:01 and 7 a.m. In the winter, it’s even worse – most streets are barely even touched, let alone plowed or swept. When the winter “street cleaning” doesn’t happen, snow and ice build up, which even further decreases the availability of parking.

I realize how much work it must be for the city employees to get to every street – and I am very grateful for how hard they work – but there is a pattern here that indicates the work isn’t even being considered.

I’m grateful for my city, but as a 28-year-old trying to maintain a career in my home state of Maine, it feels like Portland is edging folks out.

Portland, please stop ticketing citizens for parking on the “wrong” side of the street. If you want to retain people, as so often stated, at least give us a chance to park here.

Julia Finkle

Portland

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