Q. I understand there’s a city law that makes it illegal to park in front of one’s own driveway. Can you unearth the rationale for this? If one can park in one’s driveway, why not in front of it?
A. The street has “public access” status. This means that it is in city control. Preventing driveway parking ensures emergency vehicle access. Ann Arbor’s parking restriction is very similar to that specification in the Michigan Vehicle Code. Generally this rule is enforced only when a citizen complains.
Some congested cities do allow property owners to block their own driveways. Implementation requires either parking enforcement personnel to have access to the database that links a license plate to an address, or else a permitting process.
—
Got a question? Email question@aaobserver.com.
