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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Howard Prairie to host ODFW event ... VIDEO: Woman shares her story of self-injury ... Bear in southeast Medford draws a crowd; police continue to monitor it ... Howard Prairie to host ODFW event ... VIDEO: Woman shares her story of self-injury ... Bear in southeast Medford draws a crowd; police continue to monitor it ... OUR VIEW Our View: Diagonal parking questions need answers Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted May. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News The Medford Parking Commission's decision to take another look at back-in diagonal parking downtown could be a good thing — but only if several potential pitfalls are thoroughly addressed. The concept was floated three years ago, but never gained much traction. A traffic study would be needed before implementing the idea because it would eliminate one of the three travel lanes on East Main Street. How to pay for that study, especially in light of a separate traffic management study now underway, remains a question. The concept, which is used in other cities, including Eugene and Salem, calls for motorists to back into diagonal spaces on the north side of East Main from Riverside Avenue west, possibly as far as the railroad tracks. Proponents say drivers would find it easier to pull nose-first out into traffic than by backing out of a traditional diagonal space, and the problem of opening car doors into traffic would go away. The configuration would add one or two parking spaces per block. Traffic lanes would be reduced from three lanes to two, and a bike lane would be added between the diagonal spaces and the right-hand traffic lane. That sounds promising, and it's worth exploring, but some questions need to be answered in the process, among them: Delivery trucks servicing Main Street businesses now often double-park in one of the three lanes. That would quickly produce a bottleneck if there were only two travel lanes, so would the city enforce a rule prohibiting it? Would drivers of low-slung vehicles have an issue with scraping the bumpers or tailpipes of their cars on the sidewalk as they backed down the slope toward the curb? What about street trees and sign poles? Would motorists have problems backing into those while parking? If drivers back down until their tires touch the curb, they could easily have two to three feet of overhang into the sidewalk area. The city should study the idea by all means, but make sure all the questions get answered before proceeding. One thing is for sure: It would be easier than parallel parking. MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501