Hinton from Denver writes, “What’s driving you crazy? Can anyone tell by this sign it’s street sweeping day? I appealed the $50 ticket and was denied. I don’t live in this neighborhood so how would I know? Do better @CityofDenver. Hey @Denver7Traffic, if trees are obstructing the view of a sign what are the rules for that?”
The general rule is you need to understand the parking restrictions along any particular street before leaving your vehicle there. I went out to that block in Denver’s Country Club neighborhood to take a look for myself. I saw the exact same tree you saw and yes, I saw the large branch that was covering the view of the parking sign from the street parking area that is only long enough to hold three, maybe four vehicles.
While I wasn’t able to see that sign clearly through my windshield, I got out of my car and was able then to maneuver around the tree to see the sign. Standing in front of the sign I could see that street sweeping days are the first Thursdays of the month between April and November. Plus, there is a duplicate sign at the start of the block, about 50 feet away from the vegetation blocked sign that was not obscured. If you weren’t able to easily read the western sign, you could have easily clearly seen the eastern most sign, especially since you would have had to walk that way to see to your dentist.
I asked the folks at Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) how a driver should handle this situation. They told me, “Drivers are responsible for where they choose to park and following parking rules. This means scanning the street or parking area for what is allowed.”
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They also passed along Denver’s municipal code 57-21 that deals with the removal of dead or dangerous trees, limbs or shrubs. It says in part, “The responsible party, shall remove any live, dead or dying tree, limb or shrub that is blocking a sight triangle or traffic sign causing a potential traffic hazard.” DOTI added that this means it is the responsibility of property owners to maintain trees on the public right of way adjacent to their property, which includes making sure traffic signs are visible. If made aware of a situation like this, the city forester may order the property owner to remove any such tree, limb or shrub.
You can report this tree that is blocking the parking sign or any obscuring vegetation to Denver’s 311 so that a city inspector can address the issue with the property owner.
Bottom line, if you can’t read the parking sign from your car, no matter what the reason is, you should get out and read it from the sidewalk.
Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 25 years.) He's obsessed with letting viewers know what's happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or listen to his Driving You Crazy podcast on any odcast app including iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify and Podbean.
