Drivers Have Little Love for 'Back-in Angle' Parking

"The city is moving toward 'back-in angle' parking rather than 'nose-first' diagonal parking or parallel parking for several reasons. Driscoll says the 'back-in' method makes it easier for a motorist to pull out of a parking space safely. Studies in other cities have found a reduction in collisions with bicycles, pedestrians and other vehicles. And backing in is safer for children because kids who exit a backed-in car are more likely to move toward the sidewalk than into traffic.

The diagonal system also allows room for more spaces than parallel parking. The city added eight spaces to two blocks of Erie Boulevard East.

Motorists who encountered the new stripes Friday said they appreciated the extra spaces, but had less favorable reviews for the back-in method...calling the reverse-angle parking 'ridiculous' and 'absurd.' Several drivers either overlooked or ignored the prominent parking signs and swung their cars around to pull into the spaces nose-first."