Parking sign confusion costs D.C. residents

Alexandra Barkmeier said she got slapped with two D.C. parking tickets totaling $40, just for following the law.

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Confusion parking signs make avoiding tickets a challenge in D.C.

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"It seems like we just can't win with the District. There are lurking fees around the corner," she said.

New street sweeping signs went up in her area on March 1. The problem was the old signs on the other side of the street were still there, confusing many residents.

"On the north side of the street, signs were still unchanged," said Barkmeier. The signs said she could only park there on Fridays.

Ward 1 residents erred on the side of caution, following both signs. But that backfired.

"They started ticketing people because we had moved" to comply with the old signs, Barkmeier said.

Darren Jones said he contested the ticket and was told it would be voided. As of Wednesday, however, it's still on his record.

"I'm afraid in five more days the ticket is going to double," he said.

Residents said signs have been piling on and changes keep happening. Wednesday, District Department of Transportation workers put stickers over the old signs, which has lead to even more ticketing by three different D.C. agencies.

Councilmember Jim Graham said he tried to stop the ticketing until the problem was resolved. "It's the responsible thing to do," he said. "Unfortunately, we continue to issue tickets."

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