Double yellow lines cause dispute in Windsor Park
(CNS): Community activist Romellia Welcome lobbied hard to get ‘no parking’ double yellow lines painted on Hawkins Drive in Windsor Park, which she believes has fixed a dangerous situation, especially for pedestrians on the road, including young children. These were recently added to the road on the advice of the Traffic Management Panel, which is chaired by Tristan Hydes, the deputy chief officer of the Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure (PAHI).
But some members of the panel have apparently received complaints about the new no parking rules and Welcome, who is a Windsor Park resident, fears that the decision may be reversed and the lines removed.
She told CNS that she has been informed that this matter will be discussed during an upcoming meeting of the TMP and believes that Barbara Conolly, the MP for George Town South, which covers the Windsor Park area, is lending her weight to the voices objecting to the yellow lines. This view is supported by her appearance in a video circulating on social media (see below) in which residents appear very angry and upset by them.
Conolly, however, declined to comment on the matter for this article, saying she would “await the decision of the Traffic Management Panel”.
CNS reached out to Hydes to find out if the issue was in fact on the agenda for the next TMP meeting and received a response from the PAHI ministry: “The Traffic Management Panel has noted the issues of the double yellow lines on Hawkins Drive and is considering its options, pending technical advice. The panel continues to meet regularly and will find a solution best suited for the community.”
The TMP, which advises Cabinet on road traffic matters, comprises the director of licensing, the police commissioner, the manager of the NRA, the chief officer of the ministry responsible for roads and a member of the Sister Islands appointed by Cabinet.
Last November Welcome took a group of government officials on a driving tour of the area to show them some of the issues in the neighbourhood, including how vehicles were parked on the corner of Andy’s Drive and Hawkins Drive and along Hawkins Drive, demonstrating why the yellow lines were needed.
Those on the tour, she said, included Police Commissioner Derek Byrne, as well as representatives from the NRA, the Department of Environmental Health, the planning department and the Department of Children and Family Services. Welcome told CNS that it must have had an impact since the yellow lines were added to the road and she does not understand why there is now any doubt that was the correct thing to do.
She said that one of the main causes for all the cars parked on Hawkins Drive is that people add rooms to their property to rent out but then have nowhere for their tenants to park. Nevertheless, she believes that the removal of the yellow lines would be a step backwards in ensuring the safety of people in the community and is urging the panel to stick with their initial decision.
See objection video below:
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Category: Community, Local News
We having the same problem on Myles Road or Martin Drive, DOE or Planning need to take a drive and see how many people have rooms for rent and no where for the people to park, the road is crazy, all these rooms added on with no planning approval, this is what needs to be look after, you have painting going on that’s killing people and DOE is aware of it and not doing anything, we the people have no say.. MPs where are you.
STOP PARKING ON CAYMAN ROADS
Stop driving on Cayman roads, they’ve killed six more people than COVID this year alone!
Welcome is spot on! Take it step further and introduce a few marked out metred parking spots. The money received can be used to maintain the road and garbage.
The Jamaican guy says he has 3 businesses.He needs to find someplace to park all those cars..The other lady says she has buses, all parking on the street..When did property owners starting owning the streets?
There is a bend close to the end of prospect dr on the way to the boat ramp. There are always cars parked on the street causing a blind 1 car only bend. Someone will get into a head on collision one day because of selfish people who can’t park off the road.
With Alric Lindsay as the new Chairman of the NRA, I feel confident that a workable solution will be reached.
😂
I had a similar problem years ago and at that time was told that
the Chief of Police is the only person authorised to have double yellow lines painted on roadsides. Perhaps, the Law has changed.
They should put those lines everywhere, its a road not a parking lot.
Yes but cops was still drive by cars parked on double yellow lines at Smith Cove and not ticket. So the problem here is not yellow lines it’s an enforcement issue like with everything.
AMMM bobo technically I’m parked inside the lines
Technically you’re never
Exactly! Poor, inconsistent and selective enforcement by RCIPS is the problem! Until the enforcement issue is addressed, all the yellow paint on the roads won’t solve the real problem.
Just last week I was saying to a friend “never have I so much as seen Police anywhere near Smith Cove or Sunset even warning the many cars parked on double yellow lines, never!
Cayman has an enforcement problem on all things from CIMA and DOE to the NRA. The latter has a real problem with Pedestrian crossings. No two seem to be alike. Some have no zebras and some no flashing lights or warning sign. There are those with no studs. They need to be consistent and properly defined in the traffic law and regulations. By my observations vehicles frequently park on double yellow lines, zebra crossings and sidewalks.
The worst crossing is that in the centre of Cardinal Avenue where pillars make it difficult to see pedestrians and there are no warning signs or flashing lights.
I strongly suggest the NRA review all current crossings. Moreover it is time for those abusing the roads as noted above to be ticketed.
The worst ones are the 2 on the waterfront at Mary Street. Unnecessary to have 2 there
Today a car was parked right on the new double line there. Just where is enforcement.
They park there too.
Dead right about enforcement. The appeals tribunal told Kel Thompson to reapply to the CPA for his crap on Seafarers Way. Last Saturday it was business as usual. Why are the CPA and Liquir Locencing boards permitting this gross abuse of the law.
And the Sandbar Truck remains there on the sidewalk preventing pedestrians from using it. Where is enforcement?
I think the lines should stay! Too many cars parked up in the road blocking traffic! It’s annoying!
Those poor people having to walk a little extra to get to their abode. Life is so hard…
TBH I am genuinely surprised that the double yellow lines stopped them from parking there!
Agree with your last sentence 11:33. Yellow line and traffic cones don’t stop a certain kind of person parking right outside Fosters in Savannah. And the certain kind of person I am referring to is not a disabled or old person who you would have sympathy for.
The problem with Fosters Savannah is Fosters management.
That management refuses to enforce the rules for that “chosen few” that chose to park incorrectly at the expense of the majority of Fosters customers that chose to park correctly.
Give me an grocery store option in the area and I done with that shit!
Sounds like a Heritage Holdings issue to me.
No, stop it
Fosters rent the space. The security guard (which is not at the front door) should do it.
If not, then Fosters (as Tenant) should make their landlord (Heritage Holdings?) do its job
Fosters management it’s still on you – stop deflecting
Hate to break it to you but the parking spaces are shared by all the tenants, and managed by the landlord.
Some time ago, before the Covid lockdown, Fosters had a security guard who did try to control the no parking area in front of the story. Unfortunately, he was from Jamaica and most of the offenders were Caymanians so he took terrible insults when trying to move them on.
An agreement between the Landlord and Fosters along with a couple of wheel locks (as at Owen Roberts) should slow down their insults and lower their fat percentage, all at the same time.
But you know full well that Jamaicans also park there, and quick to cuss.
Breakfast pick-up on the way to the construction site and lunch pick-up are the worse times to be there.
I totally agree with what Ms. Welcome has done in Windsor Park. I live on Walkers Road near Foster Village and people who live in the nearby Apartments have no regard as to where they park their vehicles. Either the owners or the management company have removed parking spaces inside of the property and have put down gravel and pavers for beautification purposes. This leaves the owners with 6 parking spaces, 3 on either side of the complex instead of the eight that was approved by the Planning Department when the complex was built. They are now parking on both sides of the Road which is now turned into a blind corner. Children live and play in this subdivision. It’s only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs and a child is either killed or injured very badly. Some of the owners have more than 2 vehicles and there is not enough space to park.
Kudos to Ms. Welcome for caring about her neighbourhood.
Would also like to see yellow lines painted in this area. When you become a property owner you are told how many parking spaces you are entitled to, so you should not own more than two vehicles. If you do then find somewhere else to park them so that the neighbourhood does not look like a third world country. Some owners believe that they can buy into an apartment complex and make changes and have no regards for others that have to look at this day in and day out. It is starting to look like a ghetto. The other thing I hate to see is the amount of owners getting their cars washed by the car wash companies. They wash the cars right in front of the complex and most of the time they leave the garbage on the ground for someone else to pick up.
This is happening in many communities even those without multi tenancy. Adults still living at home with parents and having their own family and everyone has a car – even boats/trailers parked on the roadway, presenting dangerous hazards for motorists, pedestrians and pets that also roam outdoors.
These are quality of life issues that must be addressed otherwise we eventually will biome a country of lawlessness.
If you can’t safely drive down a road with parked cars on it then maybe it’s you who are the road hazard?
You could still kill a child going 25 mph which is considered safe in the neighborhood.
Double yellow lines are needed in Northward too. Too many people are parking their vehicles on both sides of that main road and causing risky situations and limiting traffic to driving down the middle of the road as a single lane.
Time to ditch 4 wheels and get 2 wheels!
Speak to the Deputy Premier Mr Saunders lmao
If they were to address the blatant planning law violations at the nearby properties along with the vehicle licensing law, these issues wouldn’t exist.
You don’t own the road and those lines belong there. Your concerns are not a matter of law. Have you ever drove thru Windsor park and almost ran someone over?! Yes I have and it’s because I didn’t see them due to the cars being parked on the side of the road and allowing only one car to pass thru at a time. It will only get worse as the population goes up and as one of the comments stated it’s due to rent houses popping up and people adding on a room. Your guest should park inside your yard not on the public road.
A cesspit of imported lawless dregs , you really think yellow lines are going to be obeyed by any of them.?
Wow, why not say what you really mean?!
Yeah sorry 11.10 , that was a bit harsh .
Apology accepted, Happy Friday! 🙂
But sold to them many years ago in tiny lots resulting in ridiculous crowding by a splendid Caymanian Dr Edlin Merren.
5.21pm If you can only afford a tiny lot then you don’t build a large house and keep adding rooms on illegally.
Cayman will always have a problem with laws, enforcing laws, and making some people understand why there are laws. Now more than ever they seem to want to go back to totally Caymanian style so expect it to get worse before it gets better.
8.40am Excuse me. This is not Caymanian style and we’re sick of people thinking it is. Get your facts straight.
They need to come and paint some on the corner of Sorrel Drive and Carnation Lane. Or just give the paint and I’ll do it for them.
Not surprising considering people like to park in the middle of the road and only think of themselves instead of how could this affect anyone else. I almost hit a pedestrian who decided he should run out in morning traffic to cross the road while the light was green for that part of the road. No forethought at all with these people.
Look pretty do nothing types
Well done! If this new additional line on this road causes a life to be saved, then it is well worth it.
My advice to all the ‘haters’, the life that such an action taken might save just might be your own.
Thanks again for your efforts which I can imagine included many hours of petitioning.
Entitled Karen’s
Who? The ones insisting on being able to park where they feel like and block up the road?
More like Sheniqua’s
Lol
Not sure what the residents are upset about, the roads are not meant to be an extended part of your yard to park cars on. Imagine the traffic inconvenience if everyone just decided to park on the side of the road.
Road is too slim for parked cars. Yellow lines need to stay. Go back a ya yard Barbara and hush.
Ghetto life!
Everybody believes that they own the public road and can do whatever they want without any care or consideration for anybody else.
Not everybody. Just those who have no respect. Lots of those here.
I wonder if they have this problem in Vista Del Mar?
We don’t.
The lines belong there. The road is not wide enough to allow for 2 vehicles to drive by each other with cars parked at the roadside.
It’s just too narrow, especially with pedestrians, kids, bicyclists etc. added into the fold.
Having the yellow lines there and restricting parking is the right move.
Safety is more important than a few people’s convenience.
But the people are “woters” and every spare closet in the house is a rental unit bringing them money from people they probably hold permits for.
So would you prefer they
– were not voters
– were not landlords
– were not employing workers
We just prefer you were for us all instead of trying to manipulate the politicians because you’re the only ones that can vote. You do understand it will also affect non voters.
1.47pm Yes we would. Exploiting workers is more like it.