New Hope Mayor Larry Keller on Thursday issued emergency regulations limiting parking on South Main Street to a maximum of 15 minutes and only for the purpose of picking up takeout food.
The regulations will go into effect at 10 a.m. Friday.
The borough hopes the restrictions will put an end to visitors congregating on South Main Street in violation of social distancing recommendations designed to limit the spread of covid-19.
“There have been a very large number of visitors to the borough who have been frequenting the area of South Main Street,” noted the mayor’s proclamation. “These visitors have been in violation of the social distancing rules put in place by the PA Department of Health and PA Governor’s Office. They have also been congregating in groups of ten or more to consume the takeout food that is being made available by the eating establishments of South Main Street.
“These groups are creating choke points of congestion on the sidewalks causing the visitors who are walking in the borough to walk through the group,” the proclamation continues. “These emergency parking regulations will consist of instituting a 15-minute maximum parking time for the specific purpose of picking up takeout food orders from the restaurants that are providing this service. There will be no consuming of food on the sidewalks or streets of the borough.”
The regulations will be enforced on South Main Street from Bridge Street to Route 232, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, beginning Friday. The regulations will remain in effect until the state rescinds its emergency declaration.
Ok so we’re over the hump now on Covid 19. But the narrative is now that we have to keep in the fetal position and not continue our lives because “there might be another spike”. Who controls this narrative? The media, governors trying to out-do each other, and other state workers who have jobs-for-life. Can we ask the millions of now unemployed retail, hospitality, and other blue collar people what they think of this sacrificial bull shi*t?
Mel you’re 100% right but this sh*t isn’t about parking ordinances. I hear you re reporting though…
Many more deaths from traffic accidents, opioid abuse, heart disease. How long before the govt enforces 30 MPH on interstates, bans all pain medicine, and makes fast food, French fries, and sodas illegal. Because we can have ANY tolerance for loss of life. Lots of people drown in the oceans every summer. Let’s put armed soldiers on all beaches to keep people out of the water!
Yeah but banning those things doesn’t make Trump look bad
The congestion is not caused so much by the parking, but by the fact that our streets are very narrow. So even if there is no congregation of people in front of take out places, the sheer movement up and down the streets will NOT prevent the constant multitude of people people who will be inches away from each other. Furthermore, if people are allowed to park on North Main Street, parking lots in town and in the parking lots up at the high school, congestion will not be alleviated. In addition,for the ordinance to be successful, there has to be coordination with Lamberville. If they don’t limit their parking to 15 minutes or even 30 minutes, people will park and walk across the free bridge.Finally what is up with the Bucks County Board of Health? Why aren’t they reporting the number of people in each locality- New Hope, Solebury etc who have been hospitalized for testing positive? Are the members of the New Hope Borough Council and the Solebury pressing the Board of Health for the numbers?In my opinion, Highly unlikely.