"Hard for all of us": Vancouver neighbours battle over limited street parking

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It’s no secret that parking is limited on some Vancouver residential streets, and many have to deal with the anguish of trying to find a free spot every day.

One Reddit user took to social media to ask others to weigh in on a parking dispute in their neighbourhood.

“I realize we’ve all heard this before, but I can’t tell if I’m being a b**** because my neighbor and I don’t get along. For context, she’s lived here for over 20 years, is middle-aged, and has no mobility issues. My family and I moved in 2019. Duplex next door went up last year,” they wrote.

They go on to explain and share screenshots of a text message conversation with their neighbour, who is upset that they have multiple cars parked on the street and that the neighbour says they can’t get a spot in front of their own house as a result.

At one point, the neighbour calls out the Redditor for their Airbnb and other guests parking directly in front of the home as the issue.

“Maybe try parking somewhere else,” they suggest before saying that “it’s respect.”

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It comes as many have reported increased conflicts over parking spots in Metro Vancouver. Many people have reported residents using objects like milk crates, traffic cones, and even their own bodies to reserve spots.

The user says that on their street, there is a limited amount of parking spaces, so a neighbour inquired about whose car was parked in front of their home. The user responded that it was their sister’s car and that she would only be staying for a few days.

The neighbour expressed that they would prefer that others avoid parking in front of their house altogether, with the user responding that it is hard to find space on the street.

“It’s hard for all of us to find space,” they wrote.

Other Reddit users weighed in, pointing out that a recent change to the City of Vancouver parking bylaw has made it so people can park anywhere on the block they live on for more than three hours without issue.

The old rules stated that you could only park for more than three hours between 8 am and 6 pm if you were in a spot “abutting your residence,” but as of last month, bylaw changes mean it’s free for all on residential streets with no parking signage.

Others expressed that they are aware of the rule changes, saying that they’re happy to see it.

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Some chimed in with what they would or wouldn’t do in this situation, while others pointed out the nuances.

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Vancouver says it changed the rules because street parking is a “shared public space.”

However, based on what we’ve seen and reported on in the past, this change can potentially create some problems, as social media users point out.

What do you think of the new parking rules?

Let us know in the comments.

With files from Amir Ali

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