Just as states across the nation are cracking down on the illegal use of disabled placards, a new law set to go into effect Oct. 1 in Maryland will make it easier to get them.
The Associated Press reported last week that some communities are seeing stark increases in the use of the placards. An aging population, as well as an easing of requirements to get the special permits were cited as among the reasons. But there also has been an upswing in the number of people using them who don't need them.
KIROTV reporter David Ham in Seattle talked to David Jones, the city auditor, who said, "A lot of people will take a disable placard and it's not theirs - they'll borrow it from an older relative or someone who's passed away - hang it in their car."
The Associated Press noted a recent annual survey in Portland of the city's 9,000 downtown meters that revealed just over 1,000 displayed the placards. That, the AP noted, was a 72 percent increase in five years. City officials said the increased use of placards has cost them about $2.4 million in parking meter revenue last year. Store owners also are expressing frustration, the AP noted, because the vehicles are parked there for extended periods, reducing turnover, and the use of placards by people who don't need them mean that those who do need them often can't find parking spots.
In California, Jonathan Williams told the AP he researched curbside parking in Los Angeles.
"On one block in the financial district, placards consumed 80 percent of the total meter hours," the AP noted. "Though the spaces were occupied 95 percent of the time, meters that charged $4 an hour collected an average of only 28 cents an hour."
Williams said that between 1990 and 2010, there was a 350 percent increase in the number of placards issued in California.
"Even if there was no abuse, there are a lot of placards in circulation," he told the AP.
Not all disabilities are readily visible, and people should not jump to conclusions about whether a person is legitimately using a placard. At the same time, people should not be borrowing them from relatives or displaying them just so they can get a better parking spot.
A newly enacted law in Maryland will make it easier for people to get the placards. Under the law, licensed physician assistants will be able to certify a qualifying disability. Maryland may want to do what some other states are doing and also step up enforcement when it comes to the use of these placards. As our population continues to age, more people will legitimately need them, and we owe it to them to ensure that they can find a place to park when they need one.
