Council ponders reserved parking for firefighters

Most firefighters live in the suburbs and commute to work in Washington. They work a 24 hour shift every four days.

I have no problem in providing accommodations to firefighters, but there needs to be a focus on what the problem is--(1) their driving (2) to work (3) in the city (4) mostly from the suburbs, (5) then needing a place to park (6) for 24 hours.

Why should their living far out of the city being subsidized by providing special parking privileges? (And for many firefighters this isn't an issue of people living out of the city because of the cost of housing inside the city. People choose to live farther out, because their work schedule accommodates this. I know of firefighters who live way out in Maryland and even West Virginia...)

This is an example of how DC government agencies should have to do transportation demand management planning first. Perhaps the accommodation offered by Councilmembers Brown and Cheh, as discussed in the Washington Times article, makes sense. But how can we know when no other options are presented?

From the article, "Council ponders reserved parking for firefighters":

The D.C. Council is considering legislation that would reserve up to 60 feet of curbside parking near fire stations citywide for the exclusive use of firefighters. Council members Kwame R. Brown, at-large Democrat, and Mary Cheh, Ward 3 Democrat, introduced the Firehouse Parking Exception Amendment Act of 2007 on Jan. 9. The bill would allow transportation officials to designate parking areas along the curbside of a fire station for fire and emergency personnel only, making them off-limits to the public.

"We wanted to ensure that our firefighters and first responders who are protecting us have an opportunity to have a parking place when they come to work," Mr. Brown said.

But you know the saying "shoot first, ask questions later?"

Too often that's how we do legislation in the city!

Write the legislation, don't ask any questions. By the time hearings come around, it's usually too late to change much. Maybe ask questions then.

With this legislation, transit advocates will be gun shy about testifying against it, because it's a matter of assisting "first responders."

Note that I had the same reaction when it was proposed in Columbia Heights that teachers have a similar kind of parking privilege. (Why should driving always be subsidized?)

FIRST, discourage driving, provide other options. Then consider special accommodations.

BUT, make them pay for it.

I'm willing to testify on this one. Although at best 60 feet will accommodate 4 cars or 3.5 SUVs.
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Addition: of course, this is a losing argument. The firefighters union is a big supporter of winning Council candidates. Among other ways of supporting candidates (other than donations), they provide bagged lunches to campaign workers of various (annointed) campaigns on election days.

Index Keywords: parking; car-culture