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By J.R. Brower

Giffen Ave. residents packed Canonsburg Borough Council chambers on March 2 to state their opposition to a proposal to make a portion of their street one-side parking only.

The plan calls for the 400 and 500 blocks of Giffen Ave. to be switched over from both-sides parking on a 90-day trial basis.

Council President Rich Russo said that allowing parking on both sides of some residential streets has become a problem in Canonsburg. He cited the main reason as limiting access to public safety vehicles including fire trucks and ambulances.

"One street where we eliminated both-sides parking was South Jefferson Ave., and it worked out quite well," he said.

Most of the residents who spoke in opposition to the plan complained of the inconvenience of not having spaces available in front of their houses. Examples given included the hardship on elderly residents of having to park further from their homes.

Russo said that when the plan is enacted, it will be OK for residents to park temporarily in front of their homes to unload passengers, groceries and other cargo.

Councilman for the Third Ward, John Severine, where Giffen Ave. is located, said that most of the houses where the plan will take effect have either garages or parking pads behind them, and he does not foresee the switch to one-sided street parking as causing many problems. He said that when the plan is enacted, he and other council members will be monitoring the street on a regular basis.

Russo said, "We are going to do this on a 90-day trial basis. This is the only way we will be able to see if there will be enough parking spaces." If there are too many problems, he said that it is possible that the plan will not become permanent.

Canonsburg Mayor David Rhome is just one of 23 targeted streets in the borough where one-sided parking is being considered.

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