Parking signs pertain to the parking, standing and stopping of vehicles along the roadway and in designated parking areas. They cover a wide variety of regulations.

Parking signs are categorized as either (1) prohibiting parking or (2) permitting parking with restrictions how parking is allowed.

A parking problem resulting from a significant number of cars waiting to pick up students at dismissal time has surfaced at the Malone Middle School in the area of the school bus exit onto Francis Street. “Standing” cars waiting for school dismissal are causing difficulty for the buses to exit the school onto Francis Street.

“Standing” refers to the practice of a driver keeping the vehicle in a stationary position while continuing to occupy the vehicle. This is generally the case where drivers remain in their vehicles while waiting to pick up students after dismissal.

The word “stopping” when used on a parking restriction sign refers to any vehicle, occupied by a driver or not, that stops other than to avoid conflict with other traffic or to comply with official direction, such as a police officer.

To address the problem at the Malone Middle School, new signs will be placed on parts of Francis Street near Academy Street and along part of Academy Street adjacent to the school. They will state:

No stopping, 2 to 3 p.m., school day

As you can see by this wording on the signs, the restriction will only be for one hour and only on school days. However, this will mean that drivers will not be able to wait in this restricted area to pick up students at the end of the school day.

The new signs will be more restrictive along the north side of Francis St. than the existing NO PARKING, FIRE ZONE signs currently in place. “Standing” is allowed in a fire zone, similar to in front of a fire hydrant, as long as a licensed driver remains in the vehicle, able to move it should an emergency occur.

While this article addresses parking restrictions for a specific problem at a specific middle school, be advised of the following: New York state vehicle and traffic law prohibits parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant (unless a licensed driver remains in the vehicle to move it in case of emergency), or within 30 feet of a traffic light, STOP sign or YIELD sign, even if there is no sign prohibiting it.

Although this new restriction at the Malone Middle School will be a slight inconvenience to parents waiting for their student after dismissal, it will enable efficient egress for school buses. It not only reduces congestion in the school zone, but it also protects the lives of students and others. Be watchful and notify local authorities if you identify similar trouble spots near schools in your area.