TPD Ticketing Fair Patrons Who Don't Follow Parking Ordinances

It's the opening night of the Tulsa State Fair. Crowds are filling the midway and the weather is perfect.

Before you get there, you have to find a place to park.

It's easy in the satellite parking lots for the shuttle bus, but a lot of people want to park closer than that.

Even on the first night, as soon as the gates opened, on the surrounding streets cars were slowly circling with drivers looking for a place to park.

There are spots where that's fine but plenty of places where it's illegal.

It's clearly marked -- no parking on the grass -- even no parking on the retention pond, which must mean someone has before.

On the surrounding streets, Tulsa Police reserve officers are helping patrol for illegally parked cars.

Just a block from the fairgrounds, the driver of a Jeep parked too close to the corner, right by the sign that says no to, and ended up with a ticket.

It's a $30 fine.

"You see a ton of people just like this, parked bumper to bumper and there's cops out giving tickets," area resident Joel Carr said. "And I have told people constantly that you'll get a ticket if you park here, but they don't listen and they come back there's a ticket on their car.

The police have a special enforcement zone extending from the fairgrounds north to 11th Street, west to Harvard and south to 27th Street.

Of course, all of the parking problems can be avoided by taking the bus. It starts at 6 p.m. on weekdays - at noon on weekends.

Find a shuttle to the fairgrounds

There are some paid parking spots inside the fairgrounds and free parking at Fair Meadows, but many people park in the neighborhoods and walk.

A lot of people park at a nearby school.

Man walking by: "I've parked there for years, and nobody has ever said anything and I don't mind the walk."

Woman walking by: "Down there at the school, Lindbergh."

The side streets are generally bumper to bumper where it's legal to park, but drivers will want to make sure.

The city has put up extra signs to limit parking even more than usual around the fairgrounds, hoping to keep the streets as clear as possible.

And there used to be a problem of people around charging people to park in their yards.

That's illegal, too, and officers are watching for it, and the city sent a reminder to residents.