Seattle residents say drivers treating streets like free park and ride

It can indeed be a struggle to find parking in Seattle's Central Area, especially on the residential streets just a stone's throw from Capitol Hill.
 
"We are in a place that there's no place to park on the actual lot we live in," said resident Bryan Prazen.
 
He says he is all too familiar with the parking challenges there.
 
"We share a car among three adults," he said. "But it's still hard to find a place to put it."
 
To make it easier for residents to find parking in their own neighborhoods, Seattle established restricted parking zones or RPZs back in 1979. Nearly 40 years later, there are 31 RPZs in Seattle, including Zone 2 in the Central Area.
 
"This here is completely unzoned parking," said Mike Archambault, with the Capitol Hill Community Council.  "There's no restrictions whatsoever on this part."
 
He says a lot of drivers are taking advantage of that. And residents are fed up.
 
"They kind of see people come, park their car during the day, commuters mostly," said Archambault. "And then take the bus and walk to their final place of employment."
 
People are using the street like a free park-and-ride, he said, "wherever they can find a spot."
 
Now the Seattle Department of Transportation is considering restricting parking on a dozen more streets in the Central Area.
 
"Parking downtown is very expensive," said Prazen. "And people love free things."
 
So he applauds SDOT's proposal.
 
"Yeah," Prazen said, "I think that's fair."
 
Those who would like to can weigh in on the issue.    
 
SDOT is holding a hearing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.