New London — It was with a mix of anxiety and optimism that residents who live near Electric Boat’s New London offices started a registration process Tuesday aimed solving the parking woes of neighbors.

Residents for years have complained about the vehicles of Electric Boat employees flooding the streets around the former Pfizer Global Research and Development headquarters off Pequot Avenue. On-street parking for residents is often hard to find during normal workdays. The problem is compounded when it snows and only one side of the street is available.

The Parking Authority’s proposed solution is to register vehicles of residents in targeted areas into a computerized system that allows parking attendants to identify which vehicles are allowed to park in those residential neighborhoods. EB employees will theoretically be pushed out through enforcement.

Free sign-up for the program started Tuesday and posted signs announcing “Parking By Registered Plate Only,” are set to be installed in the coming weeks. The restrictions will be in place in two zones where the problem is most severe, dubbed the Pequot Avenue north and the Shaw Street zones.

Longtime Converse Place homeowner Ricky Free, who attended Tuesday’s meeting with about 50 others at The Public Library of New London, said it’s been two years of frustrations as all available spots are taken by EB workers.

“This is a battle, it really is. And when it snows it heats up even more,” Free said. “This is not a parking lot. They have alternatives.”

Free said he has put up his own signs and confronted EB employees to no avail.

Tammy Daugherty, director of the office of Development and Planning, said EB employees, until the implementation of this program, have the right to park on the street despite EB offering its own parking and shuttle services from parking garages and lots in New London and Groton.

Daugherty said the program will start once the registration process is in place. The program offers options for residents to register frequent visitors but is working out details on how to register infrequent visitors.

In addition to the parking restrictions, Daugherty said the parking authority is working out a method of striping parking spots and registering vehicles in the Fort Trumbull area, an effort to curb the number of vehicles parked near intersections and hindering access by emergency vehicles.

“I’m hoping it works,” said Willetts Avenue resident Nerissa Burdick, who is also a school bus driver.

Burdick said the area streets are narrow and navigating neighborhoods is already a tricky process.

“I’m hoping it will thin it out and make it a little safer for everybody,” Burdick said.

Daugherty said EB officials continue to work with the city and have plans to increase their shuttle services to employees.

Residents in the designated areas can register their vehicle at the Water Street parking garage and after Dec. 14 register online at www.newlondonparking.com.

g.smith@theday.com

Twitter: @SmittyDay