Sudden Parking Spike Narrows Luhtaankatu, Disrupts Bus 29

A sudden surge in street parking this winter has narrowed Luhtaankatu in Pappila, slowing buses and cars and causing particular problems for bus 29, Aamulehti reports.

Residents flagged the issue in a neighbourhood Facebook group, and Moro visited the street, finding cars parked along the curb that reduce the usable roadway to almost a single lane — leaving barely enough room for two vehicles to pass. Bus 29 struggles to get through.

Commenters are split: some call for a parking ban on the busy main road and route, while others argue the parked cars slow traffic and make crossing the street safer.

Pekka Stenman, the city's traffic engineer, said officials do not know why parking has increased and that it may simply be a coincidence. He said there have been no recent municipal changes to parking rules; side streets already have some parking bans and winter maintenance restrictions that are lifted in summer.