It is illegal for 18-wheel tractor/trailers to park for more than two hours on any residential street in Houston. It is also illegal for the smaller “box” trucks to park for more than 24 hours on a city street. But if you’ve driven Meadowglen Lane, Elmside Drive or Seagler Road, you know that illegal parking is a chronic problem that interferes with vehicular traffic. Westchase District is actively working to curtail this illegal parking.
The Houston Police Department officers working for Westchase District Patrol routinely drive these streets, make note of parked trucks (time and date), then return to issue parking citations.
If an illegally-parked truck has not moved, it can be ticketed three times before it can be towed. “It’s rare that we have to tow a vehicle,” said Don McKinney, Westchase District’s vice president (former) of Public Safety. “They’ll usually move. But unfortunately, it’s like ‘whack a mole.’ They’ll move and pop up somewhere else.
“Motorist visibility is so limited when these giant vehicles park on our narrow residential streeets,” said McKinney. “It makes it difficult for residents exiting their apartment community to see oncoming traffic. We’re going to continue to enforce this law to improve mobility and motorist safety in Westchase District.”
