Phila. meters jam as parkers pay higher rate

How's this for an unintended consequence?

After the Philadelphia Parking Authority doubled the rate for hourly parking in Center City, to $2, it found that meters were filling up with quarters much faster. The full meters registered as jammed, allowing lucky drivers to park for free.

Double your rate, double your free parking!

So the Parking Authority, which used to empty Center City meters three days a week, is now emptying the meters six or seven days a week. The authority also has reduced the size of each collection route so the money cans don't get too heavy.

The free-parking problem - or benefit - "has decreased substantially" with the more frequent collections, said the authority's Richard Dickson.

The meter rate was supposed to go to $3 an hour last month - which really would have filled up the meters in a hurry - but parking officials decided the increase wasn't necessary because the goal of more street parking had been achieved.

The parking-meter vacancy rate has climbed to 17 percent in the heart of Center City, up from 2 percent before the rates were doubled back in January.

Meters are now being taken out, and they are to be gone entirely by January in Center City (Spring Garden to Bainbridge Streets, river to river) and February in University City (the Schuylkill to 40th Street, Arch Street to University/Woodland Avenues), replaced with multi-space kiosks that accept credit cards and currency.