SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Police Department kicked off a pilot program on Thursday, a parking study of the St. Mary’s Strip in the hopes of alleviating unwanted parking and trash on residential streets.
Authorities placed barricades on side streets beginning at 7 p.m. and will leave them there until 2 a.m. daily to study where people will park. The barricades will be up through Sunday.
“It’s a little drastic man, like you know where you’re living... like you don’t go to a vegan restaurant and order a steak,” said Stephen Story, who lives near the strip.
Not all of Story’s neighbors had the same viewpoint. Instead, they had a large role in getting the added measures to stop the bar crowd from parking on their streets and causing problems.
The president of the Tobin Hills Community Association, Parker Dixon, said people coming out to have a good time have disregard for the homeowner.
“The drunken behavior is as if we don’t exist. They use our lawns to go to the bathroom, they vomit, and they sit and drink in front of our properties in their cars and just leave their trash,” Dixon said.
Dixon explained originally police officers were going to be checking for proof of residency at the barricades so those who live there could get in. They decided against that after resident feedback said they were not comfortable. For now, the barricades are the main deterrent, but seven added officers are in the area, according to a Facebook post by commissioner Mario Bravo.
For those upset with the barricades saying they’ll have no where to park, SAPD Police Chief William McManus had a stern response.
“Take an Uber. You’re going down there drinking, take an Uber. Kill two birds with one stone, restore the peace and tranquility of the neighborhoods and keep people who have been drinking off the roads.”
Thursday is just day one of the pilot program. The true test will be over the weekend, when larger crowds pour onto the strip.
While on scene, KSAT 12 crews did notice a handful of people pull onto the side streets looking for a place to park, but ended up turning away.
