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Center Parking Will Be Abolished Friday
Thursday, 21 May 1953

[Articles transcibed from the official city newspaper in Woods County. The frontpage headlines were dated Wednesday, May 21, 1953, Vol. 54, Iss. 210, Alva, Oklahoma.]

The city council Friday morning adopted ordinance 508 which amends the city's traffic and parking code, ordinance 442, and attached the emergency clause, thus makin effective Friday morning the abolishing of all center parking in Alva.

The council voted Tuesday night to abolish all center parking and today reviewed the ordinance doing so after it was prepared by the city attorney. They adopted the ordinance and then approved the emergency cluase which makes it effective immediately upon publication.

The legal publication of the ordinance was made Thursday to put the action into effect here Friday.

Ordinance is Stated

The new ordinance says in part: "That no automobiles or other motor vehicles shall be allowed to stand or park in the center of the street in or upon any of the streets within the city of Alva, Oklahoma.

"All vehicles parked at the curb of any street shall park at an angle of 45 degrees except where parallel parking is authorized or permitted, or at such other angle as parking lines indicate, and when desiring to leave such angle parking, the driver shall back slowing out of such parking place, making sure that there is no oncoming traffic within the reasonably clear and assured distance behind such backing vehicle and then such driver shall proceed forward in the general line of travel on that side of the street.

"Provided: that no truck or pickup larger than one-half ton capacity shall park at any place around the public square, not on Barnes or Flynn Avenues between College Avenue and Seventh Street nor on College Avenue between Choctaw Street and Center Street."

To Change Signals

In the recessed session of the council this morning, it was also voted officially to remove the two traffic signals from the center of the intersections at the northwest and southwest corners of the square and to replace the same with curb traffic signal fixtures at the same intersections.

The move also authorized the installation of two traffic lights at each of the disignated intersections, each being placed on the curbing opposite each other diagonally so as to serve the four lines of traffic entering the intersections with the "stop" and
go" light signals.

These new installations are to be affected as soon as possible.

The council then recessed its meeting to May 29 at which time it will consider bids which have been advertised for so that a contract may be awarded for the construction of the new wing on the Alva General hospital.

Climax To Discussion

Councilmen, after this morning's session, said they had individually received considerable favorable comment from local citizens on the move to abolish center parking. Some admitted they had received some adverse criticism but "much less than was anticipated."

The action Tuesday night by the council was the climax to some six or seven years of discussion on the matter. The state fire marshall and the department of public safety and recommened a number of times action to abolish the center parking, each state office branding the same as hazardous and dangerous to the lives and property of the community.

It was pointed out that the action by the council was not "fly-by-night," as it has been considered and discussed by the aldermen over the last six years and it was conceded during that period that it was a necessity and would eventually have to be done.

MORE Articles...

Wednesday, May 20, 1953 - City Council Abolishes Center Parking
Thursday, May 21, 1953 - Center Parking Will Be Abolished Friday
Friday, May 22, 1953 - Several Give Opinions On City Parking
Wednesday, May 27, 1953 - Charges Fly, ..... Heated Debate at Meeting