OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — "We have a handicapped grandchild. We have to have room for the vans to be able to come and get her and get her in and out of them. And we're struggling with people parking the wrong way."
- South Omaha neighbor Denise Slowik shares her experience with drivers parking incorrectly on her street.
- Video shows cars parked in front of fire hydrants, by 'no parking' signs and on sidewalks.
- Anyone with concerns can go to the mayor's hotline or call 911 if a car is blocking a driveway or roadway.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It's a persistent problem in South Omaha, where not all drivers are parking where they're supposed to. In neighborhoods like this one on 28th Street, residents want to know what can be done to prevent this from continuing on.
"It's like nobody has any regard for anybody else's property."
Denise Slowik has been living in this house with her family since the late '80s.
"I love South Omaha, but it's changed a lot," said Slowik.
In recent years, she's noticed more and more issues with people parking incorrectly along the neighborhood streets.
"We have a handicapped grandchild. We have to have room for the vans to be able to come and get her and get her in and out of them. And we're struggling with people parking the wrong way."
People are parking the wrong way, blocking their driveway, and even parking in front of a fire hydrant that Slowik says they painted red as an extra precaution for drivers.
But Slowik isn't the only one in South Omaha with this problem.
Digging into the map of vehicle and parking reports on the mayor's hotline, I found that since April 24, almost 300 complaints have been filed. Nearly 20% of those are in South Omaha.
"Now people park wherever, and they can be on the grass, they can be blocking the sidewalk, everything. Nobody says anything," said Slowik.
I spoke to City Councilman Ron Hug on the phone, who tells me this issue is prevalent all over his district.
He says a lot of the older homes in these neighborhoods were built without garages and before it was common for many to travel by car.
The Omaha Police Department tells me they conduct parking enforcement on a daily basis.
Anyone with concerns can go to the mayor's hotline or call 911 if a car is blocking a driveway or roadway.
As a reminder, Slowik wants people to "have a little courtesy for your neighbors."
