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Community Corner

Illegal Use of Handicapped Parking Space - CT Law Updated

The Simsbury Board of Selectmen has declared June 2014 Handicapped Parking Awareness Month. The Simsbury Aging and Disability Commission continues promoting the rules for properly using handicapped parking spaces to individuals and companies. Persons with disabilities continue to voice their concerns to the Aging and Disability Commission about difficulties in parking their vehicles in designated handicapped spaces around our town.

State of Connecticut Senate Bill No. 1040 Rev A and corresponding new law Public Act 13-282 enacted October 1, 2013 addressed the illegal use of handicapped parking spaces as follows:

 Any municipal police officer who observes a motor vehicle parked in violation of this subsection shall issue a written warning or a summons for such violation.

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Mike Jennings, a person with disabilities and member of the Simsbury Aging and Disability Commission was a driving force in support of the change in PA 13-282.

New signs posted and parking spaces painted to clearly mark the handicapped parking space have been updated around town. A handicapped parking space is for people with disabilities. The handicapped parking placard is issued to an Individual who must be in the vehicle when the placard is used in order to park in this ‘reserved’ space. Commission members observe cars even with a handicapped license plate or a placard not following proper parking rules.

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An access aisle is the striped area next to the parking space and is strictly off limits for parking to anyone, regardless of whether or not they have a handicapped license plate or placard. The access aisle must be in place in order to ensure that people who use wheelchairs have room to transfer in and out of their vehicles. Only the handicapped parking space itself is reserved for those individuals who have proper identification on their vehicles (i.e. placards, tag, or plate) indicating that they are authorized to park in these designated areas. The access aisle next to the parking space is NOT a parking area.

Parking in a handicapped parking space …is 60 seconds too long, if you are not a person with disabilities!

Citizens may report violations of handicapped parking space to the Simsbury Police Department by calling the routine number (860) 658-3100. The Simsbury Police Department supports the efforts of Simsbury Aging and Disability Commission in educating the public. Fines can be imposed in the range of $50 to $150 for violation of handicapped parking regulations as well as cars being towed.





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