CLEVELAND, Ohio — As Cleveland weighs bringing parking-enforcement cameras downtown — a tool long banned for catching speeders and red-light runners — some drivers are sending a message: while cracking down on double-parking is overdue, they’re not convinced cameras and higher fines are the right solution.
City officials say the proposed overhaul is aimed at easing chronic congestion in the city’s busiest corridors, particularly along Euclid Avenue and around Public Square, where drivers frequently idle in travel lanes, block buses or linger far beyond posted short-term limits.
“It’s nearly impossible to maneuver Euclid Ave and Public Square with all the double-parked cars,” said reader Tom Yanks, who supports tougher enforcement but questioned why police haven’t been issuing tickets under existing rules.
That sentiment was echoed by other readers after the plan was detailed on cleveland.com and in The Plain Dealer.
Robert Kahoun, who has lived in Cleveland for 50 years, said the city should focus on hiring more people to write tickets. “Boots on the ground,” he said — rather than relying on a private company’s cameras. Working on Euclid, he said he witnessed cars sit with flashers on for hours with no response from the city after he reported them.
The city’s proposal, still being finalized before it’s submitted to City Council for consideration, would involve contracting with Automotus to install cameras that capture illegal stops and transmit the information for ticketing.
The system could issue violations in as little as five to 10 minutes, though city officials say that detail is still undecided. Most parking fines would jump from $25 — unchanged since 2006 — to $60.
Matthew Moss, senior strategist for thriving communities for the mayor’s office, told the Planning Commission earlier this month that the goal is to improve turnover of curb spaces so people can make quick pickups without blocking lanes.
But DoorDash driver Robert McClain said the plan overlooks the daily realities of delivery drivers who help support downtown restaurants and retailers.
“What am I supposed to do to serve my customer? Find a parking lot, walk a couple of blocks after paying and then deliver my customer cold food?,” McClain said.
McClain said he now avoids the Tower City and Euclid Avenue area because of the “nightmare” of legal parking. He said he tries not to double-park but sometimes has no alternative.
The tension — between smoother traffic and practical curb access — sits at the center of the city’s plan.
Moss said one objective is to push long-term parkers into garages and surface lots instead of occupying street parking spaces meant for short stops. During major events, he noted, it can actually be cheaper to park illegally and pay the $25 fine than to use a garage, an incentive the city wants to eliminate.
Moss said Cleveland’s charter bans cameras only for moving violations, not for parking enforcement. The proposed legislation would authorize mailed citations, allow automated enforcement downtown, expand legal loading zones and create “smart” curb areas that delivery drivers can verify and use without blocking traffic.
Under the current concept, Automotus would keep up to $6,000 per camera annually, with the city retaining all remaining revenue, a spokesperson for the mayor staid.
Councilman Charles Slife, who chairs the council’s Transportation Committee, said he sees promise in the proposal if it improves traffic flow and makes downtown more accessible.
“For anyone who has driven down Euclid, it’s like playing a video game trying to get around cars and trucks – someone blocking the through lane. We have all experienced that,” Slife said during an interview after the meeting.
Moss said the goal is simple: make it easier to get around downtown — both for people trying to park legally and for those trying to drive through. Whether cameras are the way to do that remains a question city leaders and residents will be debating in the months ahead.
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