The parking signage on Main Street Seal Beach is confusing some people, according to an unscientific social media survey the Sun recently conducted.
In related news, after receiving a request for comment on some of the responses to the survey—and seeing a photograph of the signage—parking consultant Julie Dixon, of Dixon Resources Unlimited, said she had put in a request to reposition the short-term parking signs on Main Street so they face the parking spaces rather than be parallel to the curb.
First, we’ll look at what the consultant said. Then we’ll look at what survey participants had to say.
The consultant
Main Street area parking signs appear in groups of three (and sometimes four) on a sign post. In at least one case, five signs appear on a single pole. For example, one pole shows three signs that read from top to bottom: “No parking 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.,” “2 hour parking 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” and “No reparking: No Reparking within 150 ft of current parking space for a minimum of 4 hours. Seal Beach Municipal Code 8.15.120.” The “no reparking” signs are red.
According to Dixon, whose firm provides parking consultant services to city governments, the California Vehicle Code says the curb markings are sufficient. However, she said the signage makes it easier for the public to know where the parking spaces are.
Dixon said she was thinking about specific poles for the short-term parking signs. She said she was hesitant to add clutter with additional signage.
“That’s the one thing that would make a difference,” she said.
She said she did not want more poles, but she understood the need for simplicity.
Dixon said there’s a question of should there be a sign for every space. She said you have to look at it like you are “foreign” to Seal Beach.
Referring to the re-parking signs, she said the general consensus was that the “policy” sign, meaning the one that advises motorists to move 150 feet, should be posted with the two-hour parking limit signs.
Dixon said you have to be sure the signs are clear and conform to Caltrans rules. Dixon said there was an opportunity for sign consolidation in Seal Beach.
As previously reported in the Oct. 17 “Ongoing and upcoming local issues” feature, Seal Beach Police Sgt. Michael Henderson, the department’s public information officer, confirmed that the red signs mean that “A parked car has to be moved 150 feet every two hours to avoid a citation.”
“Regarding the four-hour limitation, the car cannot be moved back to the original spot within four hours. After four hours – the car can be moved back to the original spot,” Henderson wrote in an Oct. 7 email to the Sun.
“There was a sign in front of the Post Office that created some confusion – this sign has been removed,” Henderson wrote.
The survey
In all, the Sun received 45 comments, of which four were irrelevant or simply references to other social media users. Of the remaining 41 comments, four appeared to be positive. The remaining comments complained about confusing signage or what the responding individuals apparently considered unfair parking enforcement.
While obviously a small sample, the complaints about confusing signage were consistent with staff observations: Some individuals have come into the Sun office to ask what the signs mean. One Sun editor overheard visitors debating what the signs meant.
The Sun used two social media platforms, Nextdoor and Facebook, and posted one question in three locations, asking “In my official capacity as associate editor of the Sun, on the record and for possible publication in the print edition of the Sun, what do you think of the parking signs on Main Street Seal Beach?”
• Matt Fish said, “The present situation causes confusion that leads to anger that leads to lost customers. Some think the confusion is intentional to generate revenue for the city. It’s a vicious cycle.”
According to the approved 2019-2020 Seal Beach budget, the city’s actual 2016-17 revenue from parking citations was $984,176. The projected 2019-20 revenue was put at $ 1,300,000.
• Shelly Bolander said, “IMO [in my opinion] they are ugly and ridiculous. They should paint ‘no left turn’ on the street or just add small ‘no left turn on Main Street’ signs here and there. The ‘no re-parking’ signs should be removed. Enough is enough. In addition, I feel all these signs implicate that you’re welcome here for 2-4 hours and then you need to leave! And in the meantime, add more benches for visitors.”
• Amelia Ostroff said, “I’ve never seen the no skateboards or bicycles on the sidewalk rules ever enforced, but sure wish they were for the sake of older and more frail people coming in and out of businesses and the Post Office. I don’t think the rule about no U-turns to park is clear enough. It is a huge ticket. And the new rule on moving 150 [feet] is silly. How does one eyeball that and how does that not turn into a losing debate with parking enforcement?”
• Cari Buell Patri said, “I’m okay with the signs, but whoever is giving out the tickets for parking is ridiculous. I’ve gotten two $94 tickets that were given in error. One was for a parking meter that was not expired. The other was for two hour parking that I was only in for an hour and a half. $94?!! That’s outrageous, especially when I always pay the meters and make sure I’m back in time for certain zones. We want to support Old Town businesses but that sure makes you not want to go to Main.”
• Bradley Donald said, “I try to avoid Seal Beach because of parking ticket issues.”
• Dave Privett said, “I got a $64 ticket Friday that stated I parked at 1:12 p.m. and the ticket was written. At 3:24 p.m. The only problem was that [I] parked at 2:30 p.m. and left at 4:20 pm. The license plate was not even close to mine but car description was my car. Parking enforcement said to ignore the ticket. It was in error.”
• Andrew Backstrom said, “The red signs are laughable and clutter the sign posts. I always will support local merchants but do not think they hurt business and parking a short walk away doesn’t keep patrons away and is the norm quite often. The red signs are petty, there’s less signage in Santa Monica.”
• Tamara Tai Clark said, “They suck!”
• Leah Wilson said, “Absolutely confusing.”
• Shelly Bolander (commenting on a second social media platform), said, “Too many signs. It gets confusing. We need a ‘No Left Turn’ painted on the street. The no re-parking sign is unnecessary. How unwelcoming can you be? What I take from it is the city is saying, you’ve got two hours and then you need to leave. Sad.”
• Lorri Mc Clellan Rea said, “I love Seal Beach but I don’t really like the parking limitations. Now the signs say if you move your car you have to be X-amount of feet or yards away from your original spot [face palm emoji]. I totally understand having spaces for the customers.”
• Yaseng Yann said, “I totally agree with the 2 hr signs and parking on Main. There’s also paid parking, but this should allow for 3-4 [hour] parking, me thinks, not [a] 2 [hour] limit.”
• Steve Miller said, “A necessity talking to store owners. The spots should be used for patrons on Main [Street], not beach parking. Too easy to wipe away chalk every few hours.”
• John Domingue said, “Sorry but a lot of the employees of Main Street businesses are the problem. Main [Street] employees SHOULD NOT be parking on Main [Street]. There are quite a few regular offenders and their employers allow it.”
• Yaseng Yann said, “Does the patrol mark with chalk or scan now?”
• John Domingue said, “Scan … courts have ruled marking with chalk is illegal.”
In April 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that chalking violates the Fourth Amendment.
California is located in the Ninth Circuit.
That same month, the Seal Beach City Council approved an updated parking code. The code included a prohibition on the removal of chalk marks. At the time, SBPD Commander Steve Bowles said, “We are using License Plate Readers as our primary enforcement tool and using chalk as a backup. If for some reason our technology has a snafu or is ‘down’ temporarily, we will use the traditional chalking method as a backup.”
• Rita V Strickroth said, “Confusing! A head shaker and an eye roller!”
• Greg Mosholder said, “They suck.”
• Larry Kelly said, “Government stupidity in its finest moment.”
• Matt Johnson said, “Not sure. How long they been parked there?”
• A.J. Wilson said, “I think the signage has evolved as tactical responses to parking issues over time, without a coherent strategy. Visually, they are difficult to read and interpret, and the designs are not integrated. And can people estimate ‘150 ft.’ on the fly? How many parking spaces is that?
• Catalina Arango said, “Agree. Poorly written and vague. This and the beach electric car parking both need to be rewritten. Do better Seal Beach.”
• Joni Snyder said, “The parking and signs are ridiculous! How are clients/customers supposed to get their hair done and more in 2 [hours]? Or eat and shop in 2 [hours]? They are ruining business on Main [Street].”
• Kevin Polacek said, “Agree with all. Ridiculous parking regulations. I no longer give [Seal Beach] my shopping.”
• Leah Wilson said, “Charles, well [they are] confusing to me and I live here, but for a tourist or a visitor to come here, very confusing.”
• Leo Varshavsky said, “Seal Beach is 1 million times better than this!! And $64 for street sweeping tickets for our residents is disgusting.”
• Tony Venti said, “I’ve seen easier signs to decipher in Taiwan.”
• Tori Braun said, “They are perfectly confusing for the non-locals that park on Main.”
• Kristina Marie Lennon said, “Other cities such as Cypress and Rossmoor should follow Seal Beach and their parking restriction signs. They are posted often so drivers know the rules. Unlike the other cities I mentioned they have ONE sign entering an entire community with parking restrictions and use this deliberate action to make money. It’s flat out wrong and ridiculous for people who don’t live there. We should be happy Seal Beach makes the effort to inform drivers.”
• A.J. Wilson, replying to Kristina Marie Lennon, said, “This is a good observation. There are plenty of signs so people should be able to see them and be informed. I don’t think the city is using them as a ploy to make money, but that is a consequence of non-conformance. Thanks for posting.”
• Jackie Maloney said, “Fine.”
• Rhonda Passalaqua Alvarado said, “We used to live on 7th [Street.] There was a fire hydrant across the street with no painted curb. One after another throughout the entire day, people would get a ticket within five minutes of parking there; we lost count one day. My husband went out and asked the officer why people were getting tickets one after another when they weren’t even close to the hydrant. He said that in Seal Beach you have to be fifteen feet away or farther from the hydrant or you will get a ticket if the curb isn’t painted, and they aren’t going to paint anymore curbs, because they don’t like the way it looks. He said every city is different and it’s up to you to check their ordinance before you park.” Followed by emoji of woman spreading her hands in confusion.
• Susan Thiedt, replying to Rhonda Passalaqua Alvarado, said, “That’s absurd and so unfair!!!” Followed by a red-faced, angry emoji.
• Maureen Budd Neer said, “Have you seen all the tickets at the beach area for backwards parking! Ca-ching!!”
• Susan Christovich said, “Two words – revenue enhancement.”
• Juliet Foulds Walters said, “They want your money, end of story.”
• Mercedes Neves-Hatchwell said, “No good, SB is a community of good neighbors that support local businesses!”
• Joe Vallee said, “I made my $62 contribution.” Followed by two emojis, one showing a puzzled face and the other showing a sad face.
• Larry Hearn said, “Definitely confusing for visitors. Parking meters could make it possible to eliminate some signs. I understand meters are a ‘No No,’ but it may be time to reconsider.”
• Francine Greene, replying to Larry Hearn, said, “There are already three metered areas that I know of.”
• Dawn Sasse-Southern said, “I think we should be able to dispute tickets on a local level. The process now is a joke and they never get back to you other than tell you that you have to pay.”
