Illegal Parking Adjacent to Mt Tabor Park

1 hour ago
2 min read

Another summer, same parking safety problems: 2026 edition

If your driveway has been blocked, a fire lane obstructed, if you see any other threats to safety due to parking violations on your block or in your neighborhood, call for help:

(Last year’s blog posts:

https://www.mttaborpdx.org/single-post/mt-tabor-park-events-are-upon-us-safety-first

See also the Abandoned Vehicle blog post:

https://www.mttaborpdx.org/single-post/how-to-report-a-possibly-abandoned-vehicle-in-portland-oregon)

Here’s a starter list for those phone calls (and emails):

EMERGENCIES: Call 911. (E.g. parked vehicle obstructs police, fire, or EMT access, puts lives in danger, etc.)

BLOCKED FIRE LANE: 911 or 311 or ask the Portland Fire and Rescue Main Office for advice, 503-823-3700 if inadequate responses to a potentially serious problem, such as a park fire that fire trucks can’t reach due to blocked fire lanes.

BLOCKED DRIVEWAY: Call Parking Enforcement Dispatch: 503-823-5195. Be prepared to leave a detailed message, time, your name and number, address of blocked vehicle, vehicle make, model, color, license plate #, etc.

NON-EMERGENCIES, but important: Call Police Non-emergency, 503-823-3333, for example if your street is clogged because no one can turn around due to blocked driveways. (This is also a serious fire or medical safety risk if this is a dead-end street into the park.)

ONGOING (daily, weekly, annual) PARKING PROBLEMS:

IF NOT SURE WHO TO CALL, and when not an emergency: Call 311.

IF the PARKING SAFETY PROBLEM PERSISTS, week after week, year after year:

) Organize and activate your neighborhood network and start a campaign, e.g. call the numbers above, call often, tell your neighbors to call.

(To paraphrase the humorous “vote early, vote often” motto of a former Chicago mayor, when it comes to traffic and other City of Portland management, maintenance, and oversight difficulties, “Call Early, Call Often.”)

) Put the above numbers into your phone and where housemates can find them (on the household fridge or bulletin board), and then call to report parking safety violations.

) Contact Portland Police EAST PRECINCT: 503-823-4800 and ask for advice. (They have been very helpful with action or, if the parking problem is outside their bailiwick, with referrals): See my previous blog post re: East Precinct Open House: https://www.mttaborpdx.org/single-post/portland-police-east-precinct-monthly-open-house-tuesdays-at-1-30-2025

) Call and email your District 3 City Council members and the Mayor, every time the problem arises:

Mayor's Office: https://www.portland.gov/mayor/keith-wilson

District 3 URL: https://www.portland.gov/council/council-contact-list

Currently in office through 2026 - election is in November 2026: