Miami Beach commissioner pushing for changes to parking rules, stopping some cars from being towed

A Miami Beach commissioner is pushing for changes to the city's parking rules to stop towing residents' cars for minor compliance violations, citing constant resident complaints about "inconsistency" in the regulations.

Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez said many frustrated residents have contacted his office after their vehicles were towed, prompting him to introduce legislation at this week's commission meeting.

"There are ways to enforce parking that don't require us to take the extreme measure of towing a resident's car," Fernandez said. "It's an inconvenience and is costly for the residents".

Miami Beach resident Jolie Glassman is among those affected by what she describes as "confusing parking regulations".

"I think the biggest problem is the inconsistency and the switching of the rules," Glassman said. "One day you could park there, the next day you can't."

According to Fernandez, 63.8% of vehicles towed in the city were due to compliance issues, such as parking in the wrong residential area, along a yellow curb, or in a no-parking zone.

The remaining 36.2% of tows were tied to safety violations, including parking next to a fire hydrant, in a handicap space, or obstructing access.

Fernandez plans to introduce legislation that would stop towing resident vehicles for compliance-related mistakes and instead issue citations.

"If you're parked illegally in a handicapped parking space, if you're parked in a fire hydrant, you will still be towed," he said. "But for residents who parked by mistake in the wrong parking zone, didn't renew time on the parking app, or parked on a yellow curb, those are simple mistakes. Let's give our residents the benefit of the doubt".

Fernandez said he has already received unanimous support from fellow commissioners and expects the measure to pass.