I find the MoCo website a nightmare to navigate or I would post links to this and probably the staff report, which should be up soon. Maybe some kind soul will post the link to the staff report in the comment section.
Parking at Bixby Bridge
I find the MoCo website a nightmare to navigate or I would post links to this and probably the staff report, which should be up soon. Maybe some kind soul will post the link to the staff report in the comment section.
Bixby Bridge is out of control. It is iconic and gorgeous but it is not designed for stopping to sightsee, but rather for driving over and seeing from afar how it works into the environment. The experience is TOTALLY destroyed by all the parking and traffic and inconsiderate (and plain stupid) tourists who feel they can stop traffic and take photos, regardless of where they need to park. I vote for the moratorium.
I’m all for this as long as there’s enforcement to back it up. Otherwise it’s going to be worse because everyone will just put their hazards on in middle of the road and get out to take pictures like they currently do when parking is full.
I’d love to see this actually happen. It’s been a problem for years. I’m curious how the parking may be affected in other immediate areas like the driveway just north of the bridge and turnouts.
Thank you!
Kate,
A great idea and hope they can enforce it. Last several times I have been down they are parking in the middle of the highway.
Richard
If this idea is enacted, there need to be advance warning signs 1/2 mile in each direction that there is no parking at the Bixby Creek Bridge. Otherwise, folks will just stop in the middle of the road right before the bridge to assess their options, and things won’t improve much.
Also, expect the pullout at Hurricane to absorb the slack if this is enacted, and that will be the next treacherous area for traffic (sometimes it already is).
There needs to be a sign IN CARMEL and LUCIA: No Parking at Bixby Bridge. Then another sign maybe at Garrapata Beach and maybe Pfeiffer.
I understand the frustration because I have driven through there when some fool think it’s ok to just park their car in the road. I live in Pacific Grove near my son and family in February and March and I love to drive through Big Sur, stopping at Bixby on the drive. Isn’t there some other solution to this problem that doesn’t punish people who are sane? Some solution that doesn’t close it all down?
It’s worth a try but I think at least a few of the thousands of cars that drive down the highway every day will just stop on the highway.
Barbara, we have tried everything else, at this point. If you have only driven thru in Feb and March, you have no idea how bad it can get on Memorial or Labor Day weekends, or other major holidays with good weather. A few years back, the car in front of me, heading southbound, stopped in the middle of the road, got out, LOCKED his car and then moseyed on over to the side of the road to take a photo.
Perhaps a trial run on the no parking, put cones up or whatever and allow no parking on either side north of Bixby Bridge, post some officials up on the hill, just south of Bixby Bridge and monitor what happens. I think the current nightmare just turns into another nightmare. For now, I think traffic control and law-enforcement is the only answer in my opinion. With the millions of dollars spent on promoting and advertising Big Sur/Bixby Bridge they could take some of that money and hire some professional insured official parking enforcement. But I’m sure their county would come up with some sort of an excuse like we don’t have the resources, it’s not in our budget, etc. etc. blah blah blah.
Kate, In March, I happened upon someone stopping in the middle of the road and leaving and locking their car too. It ticked me off but it seems like law enforcement giving whopping tickets might deter this nonsense.
Move the bridge to Fresno as a tourist attraction. Replace with a boring modern bridge.
I like no parking anywhere along with roadside. Just drive slowly and enjoy the sites. Move along. I am not a resident but visitor and IMO it’s gotten out of control. Time to get control.
Yesterday Saturday about 5 PM, there were 5 vans parked at the top of Rocky Point Restaurant driveway just off the Highway, and another was stopped in the south-bound lane of the Highway, apparently hoping to pull in. It looked like a group.