COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — College Station City Council is considering adding overnight parking restrictions in residential neighborhoods close to the Texas A&M campus, a move that has some longtime residents concerned.
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The proposed rules could include removing street parking, limiting when cars can park, and requiring permits for special events like football games. City officials believe these changes could reduce congestion and improve transportation near campus.
"Why should I be punished to park in front of my house when the rest of the Bryan College Station area of Brazos Valley gets a parking for their house for free," College Station resident, Lynda Harms, said.
Harms expressed frustration about the potential changes to the neighborhood she's called home for decades.
"Kind of makes me hate living so close to campus," she said.
Residents describe significant parking issues in neighborhoods surrounding the university, particularly during the academic year and special events.
"We have people that block driveways, we have people that throw their trash in my husband's truck in mailboxes. They're constantly tow trucks driving off with someone's vehicle for parking too close to a stop sign or whatever," Harms said.
Another resident, Laney Berry, confirmed the challenges.
"It could be frustrating to not be able to park in front of your own house," she said. "Especially during the fall of football season, people park over here to walk to the games or walk to class, so there's times where you can't even park in front of your own house."
While Harms agrees a solution is needed, she doesn't believe residents should bear the burden.
"Build a garage closer to campus, do something over there and leave us alone," she said. "Let us park where we need to park. We live here. Everybody has vehicles and it's not fair for us to be chastised because we live so close to campus."
The city plans to survey students and residents later this year to explore other possible solutions before making any final decisions.
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