Parking Authority

12:22 PM, 09/28/2009

They get more guff than deserved
While I may not support the recent meter hikes- I do think people try to take advantage of the system more often than not. Anytime I have received a ticket- I deserved it- so why complain? Park where you should, pay when you should- otherwise you get a ticket. And that is no one's fault but your own...

Posted by phlyfumblr

05:13 PM, 03/13/2009

parking tip!
my beef is not with the parking authority, at least this time, but with the outside parking lot vender. i went to the market st. (at 31st St.) office to pay a (few) tickets. Was happy to see a parking lot right outside the building. but the guy said i had to pay $15, upfront. told him i was going to the parking authority, he said it's still $15. so i pull out, find a cheaper lot, trek back three blocks. after my business is done, they say, "and we'll validate your parking ticket if you parked outside so it's only $5." would have been nice if the lot attendant had volunteered that info. would have been nice to know in advance. so now you do. (it's especially important since you're probably going to be in there a loooong time.)

Posted by sandyshea

02:48 PM, 09/28/2009

actually do their job
Despite all the c**p they get, at least these people are out there writing tickets and doing their jobs.

Posted by jhchang

03:08 PM, 09/28/2009

What happened to the SDP agreement
PPA is an entity that tickets the cars of Philadelphia just so they can provide jobs, and mostly patronage jobs. The PPA needs to streamline itself so they can do what they were intended to do. Provide extra subsidies to the School District. Right now, they are simply taxing the citizens through parking tickets, and not providing any actual service to the people of the city.

Posted by gtown_teach

04:44 PM, 09/28/2009

Enforce Parking Laws Beyond Center City
I live near the intersection of Passyunk and Ellsworth. There are two businesses at this intersection that rely on illegal parking. They block entrances to other streets, park on the sidewalk, triple-park well out into the intersection, etc. In the last fifteen years, I have never seen a ticket on any of these cars or trucks. It is dangerous to cross the street at this intersection, if not impossible for a wheelchair or baby carriage. Why can't non-Center City neighborhoods get the same level of parking enforcement services as Center City? I will say that I am very impressed with the way the Parking Authority has been installing the new metering system in Center City, and especially with its flexibility about three-hour parking at night. Now, if they would only contribute significantly more of their revenues to the City they serve...

Posted by Clementine

07:13 PM, 09/28/2009

Nobody questioning the validity of PPA
Again, nobody knows why the PPA is around, they just accept the tickets. Hint: They should be providing funds to the city, but they are currently just supporting patronage jobs. Wake up and smell the coffee, it's like paying taxes on something that ultimately provides no social benefits.

Posted by gtown_teach

11:18 PM, 09/28/2009

It's not what they do it's how they do it
Obviously there is a necessity for parking enforcement in a city, plus done right it can provide much needed resources for other public services (schools, street repair, etc) however the parking authority in this city continues to be a corrupt organization that feeds itself with rate hikes and speeding up meters (yes they were found to speed up meters) Unfortunately, much like the gun laws, the PPA is controlled by the state so the money does not go back to the city. A year ago people celebrated when the PPA donated 110,000 to keep pools open, which is great, except for the fact the money should be going back to the city anyway. They make 150 million a year and you cant tell me it costs 150 million to run this, especially since they only focus in center city.

Posted by ConverseB24

10:13 PM, 09/29/2009

Illegal Parking Problem
Cars are constantly parked on the sidewalk outside of my house for hours at a time and even over night. I have called and complained, even talked to a supervisor I ran into once and nothing is being done. Granted I live in south philly but I shouldn't have to walk out my side door and worry about bumping into a car.

Posted by Taxpaying Voter

09:13 PM, 09/30/2009

Police Business Funding A Safe Philadelphia
Re-organize PPA under the City's Police department and dedicate all of the parking revenue as it's funding source. Then add Red light Camera, all personal code violation fines and special event coverage fees...then Philadelphia would have a Police force like none other, one that is "Totally Funded"

Posted by Clark_Kent_SuperHero

02:54 PM, 10/03/2009

Fishing for reviews?
How come the first review is dated 4:13pm, March 13, 2009, when this board was launched in late September 2009? Is there a computer glitch here, or is Philly.com actually fishing up old comments from other forums just to make it look like people are using this service?

Posted by sdls1603

03:27 PM, 10/03/2009

RE: Fishing for reviews?
Good catch, sdis1603. No conspiracy here, though - we starting testing the infrastructure for City Howl last spring, so there are reviews from before the launch on a couple locations.

Dave Merrell
Web Editor
It's Our Money/City Howl

P.S. I have to rate the PPA in order to post this, and since I don't own a car, I'm going to give them a neutral three stars.

Posted by dym34

09:19 AM, 10/05/2009

Reading Glasses
I have a company car with NJ tags. I also have a valid parking permit for my my zone. I also have reflector dots (supplied by the PPA)on my front and rear plates. I also receive tickets on a regular basis from the blind PPA agents because I am parked in a two hour zone. Can someone start a program to donate reading glasses to these agents?

Posted by frankgaffney

01:58 PM, 10/07/2009

Thanks Dave
I should have also gone neutral with 3 stars... Shouldn't the philly.com reporters/bloggers/moderators identify themselves when they're posting? After all, there's some serious potential bias...

Posted by sdls1603

02:13 PM, 10/07/2009

RE: Thanks Dave
You know, we had this discussion about taking down the earlier reviews before the site went life for the public. We decided against it for a couple reasons. First, Sandy signed her review with her real name, which we thought was enough disclosure. Also, the review was written in good faith: she was discussing an experience with parking in the city. I don't know if other Philly.com/Inquirer/Daily News people have posted, but I don't have a problem with it as long as their reviews are helpful; it's not like we're asking people to review the newspapers. People who work for PMH live in the city and deal with services just like everyone else, so I don't really see a conflict of interest here. -Dave Merrell

Posted by dym34

02:32 AM, 10/19/2009

More Revenue Should Go Back To The City
The PPA still needs to be better regulated so it's revenue goes back toward city services such as education and other fundamental services. While the new paper ticket meters are convenient in that they accept credit cards, they are not convenient for re-feeding the meter - you have to be there exactly when it expires or you end up paying twice for the same time. I guess that style is fairly standard, but it's a bit annoying. I also wish they'd ticket the cars in the center of South Broad St that stick out into the traffic lanes and that are in the turn lanes. Don't ruin a good thing.

Posted by an00

01:38 PM, 10/20/2009

Are these posting for real?
Reading this forum someone might get the impression that the Philadelphia Parking Authority was a fair but firm group of hard working people, judiciously citing parking violators. Based on the the many stories I have heard and my own personal experiences I know the Philadelphia Parking Authority to be, dishonest, abusive and completely random in how it interprets the parking signs. I parked my Philly car share at a parking meter in center city to pick up something at 3:52pm. According to all the signs I was legally parked. I run into the shop to pick up my order and come back to where I parked the car in under 10 minutes and it was gone. It happened so fast I thought that I had left my keys in the ignition and thieves had driven off with it. A bartender he was having smoke told that not only did the PPA take it but that they have been randomly towing people cars from center city at 4pm despite the fact that on this particular block there are no signs saying no parking after 4pm. When I finally got the ticket from at the impound lot not only does it not say where exactly I was parked, which would indicate I was at a meter, but it also claims I violate a posted sign that just was not there. What is even funnier is the person wrote on the ticket that it was issued at 4:11 pm which is impossible because I was standing in spot where my car had been towed from at 4:08 pm. There is just no way that PPA could have issued the ticket and completed the tow job in beginning at 4pm and finished it before I got to the parking space. If you do a google search you find many stories for how they issue tickets for violations that have started yet and for signs that are posted. Basically PPA randomly goes down to center city and randomly picks people to pay $200+ and loose hours of their lives. This is the same corrupt abuse you see in third world countries.

Posted by if_else

03:00 PM, 10/21/2009

PPA...a civic black eye
I had to go to City Hall this week. I was amazed at all of the cars parked on 15th Street where there are no parking meters. Each car had a PPA voucher clearly visible to the passerby. Hmmm...All of US have to feed a meter or pay $12 to $20 to park in a garage while these people, apparently, get to park right next to City Hall for nothing. ...And will someone tell me exactly WHY we need a whole municipal agency devoted to giving out parking tickets? From what I've read, it costs a whole lot more for the patronage jobs that PPA gives out than we ever collect in traffic tickets. How did we EVER get along before the PPA existed? And it does nothing for the tourists visiting Philly except give them a reason to never come back.

Posted by feudi

06:42 PM, 10/24/2009

Thugs in uniform
They make city council look good.

Posted by bobg1812

03:15 PM, 10/31/2009

The Best Run Agency in the City
The PPA has its faults. The Ticket Writers are not always the most friendly people. However, we had an abandoned vehicle on our block for weeks. Calls to the Police, City Council and Mayor's office went unanswered. After talking to the PPA the car was removed within 48 hours.

Posted by MPM JR

05:46 PM, 11/09/2009

PPA Permits
We have PPA permit parking between the hours of 8am - 8pm Monday to Saturday on 1100 block of Marlborough for a few years now, but have seen very little action from the PPA. They seem to come out during the daytime Monday to Friday, but never past 7 pm or on the weekends when it really matters. Come on PPA, enforce the permits that we pay for!

Posted by FishtownYo

12:49 PM, 11/12/2009

Bus Zone Ticket - During Strike!
I got a $51 ticket for a parking my car (for about 20 min) in a bus zone in Manayunk. Nevermind that it was the 2nd day of the SEPTA STRIKE and NO BUSES were running! What a bunch of BS. I'd like to know the clueless SOB who gave me that ticket.

Posted by philly57

07:10 PM, 12/04/2009

PPA needs to be free to enforce the whole city
The PPA was once under the control of the Philadelphia police dept. many many years ago if memory serves me right it was separated from the police dept because so many ticket were being fixed or something like that. The PPA is suppose to enforce all parking laws made by the state and all parking regulations made by the city. Lets take the last post about parking in a bus zone during the septa strike. One that bus zone is not only for septa buses it is for any bus that want to stop there and pick people up like a temple bus or any other kind of bus not just septa. My main problem with the PPA is they do not enforce the whole city only select areas within the city and that is because of the city, Mayor,city council and their regulation that make some areas off limits or make one kind of parking legal in one area and illegal in another area with city council regulations. If the PPA is to function right and it is close to it it needs to have no strings attached to it telling it what to enforce and not to enforce they need to just enforce the laws on the books and any new laws through out the whole city. Meaning south philly needs to wake up and stop parking anywhere they feel they should double triple parking has to be enforced the same way it is downtown and everywhere else in the city.

Posted by brtsucks

03:05 PM, 12/18/2009

Have to love it!
Check this out! I went to traffic court to contest an unfair ticket and towing charge since my car was removed from a legal parking spot a couple of months ago. The story? Simple, I left to work and when I returned at 4 pm, there was a storage box instead of my car and plenty of board no-parking signs posted on meters (so many that there were some left on the floor). So I go to traffic court and the first thing that this judge asks me to provide is a picture proving that there were no notices by the time I left to work.... yes! As I just said I was supposed to be able to provide an image or proof that by the time I left to work at 8 am, there were no notices posted. I wonder if there are people out there that take pictures everyday just in case something happen and they evidence of the "before", because I certainly had proof of the "After" !! Now as you can imagine, I considered appealing and tried to get police reports, etc. But in the process I realized that I was getting no where and that no matter how much I was willing to do, there was no better solution than to give up (the system would never leave proof of its mistakes). As I said, I had plenty of pictures to share in which I included a picture of my parking permit, all the leftover board signs that were left at the entrance of my place, the spot were my car was parked, the damage made to my car by the towing truck (contested and lost that one too) and on. Nothing mattered, I did not have a picture or anything to prove that I was telling the truth, therefore, I had to pay a $41 ticket and $150 for towing services to the lovely parking PPA. I don't know about you, but for me and after seeing this officials laughing while they write tickets, I think PPA has a lot of work to do in being honest and truly fair to those playing by the rules. Is good that they keep Philadelphians in line but not with this kind of nonsense!!

Posted by pumana

10:41 PM, 01/13/2010

Unfairly Ticketed
I parked in the 500 block of S. 4th Street today (1/13/10) for a repair call at a customer location. Paid $3 at the nearest Kiosk at 1:17PM and received a parking stub for 2 hours, expiration time of 3:17PM. The job was done in much less time than I expected so I left there and went to the next customer location at Chew and 5th Streets. I parked at an expired meter at about 2:25PM but I still had the parking stub from my previous stop on S. 4th Street displayed on the curbside dashboard. I got finished that job at about 3:00PM and when I came back to my car, there was a parking ticket on it for “meter expired”, issued by Officer S. Thomas (badge 02-108) at 2:34PM. I think I was unfairly ticketed. At the time Officer S. Thomas wrote the ticket for expired meter at Chew and 5th, I still had 43 minutes of paid parking time on my parking stub.

Posted by KingOf Russia

02:30 PM, 01/18/2010

Disputed Ticket - No Response After 15 Days
The Parking Authority's FAQ says the only way to dispute a ticket is to write a letter and they'd reply with a hearing date. I sent a letter a few days after the ticket was written and waited (and waited) for a response. I had to pay the ticket within 15 calendar days receiving the ticket. On the 14th day after it was written, I went in person to 913 Filbert to inquire about it. I was able to obtain a hearing date in person on the 14th day after the ticket. If I waited for a written response, I would not have received one and it would be my fault for not paying the ticket within 15 days. Forcing citizens to correspond via written letter is not how the Authority should be doing business in the 21st Century. It's just one way for them to collect more revenue.

Posted by Eric Cartman

05:28 PM, 01/20/2010

Real questions about parking layouts in center city
So yes, we all love to hate the PPA. And yes, we all try to pull a fast one from time to time. Tickets are a part of life in center city, but in my opinion, not the biggest problem. As a center city resident, I have a real question for the PPA. I have a zone 4 residential pass. Roughly speaking I'm allowed to park between Locust and South from 15th to 7th - but let us focus on the blocks between Broad and 15th from Spruce to South. Spruce St between Broad and 15th - no parking (too close to the Kimmel). Pine St between Broad and 15th - half zone 4, half 2 hour meters not zoned for residential parking. Lombard between broad and 15th - all zone 4 parking. South between Broad St and 15th - although you can park on either side of the street, it's all zone 1 (not 4 like the others). So it's frustrating that for some reason I can park along Pine, Lombard and even parts of 15th St - but not South between Broad and 15th. I could go on with questions about a lot of blocks like that (South between Broad and 13th, 13th between Spruce and Locust, almost all of 12th street, Spruce between 13th and Broad, the last four spots on Lombard before you reach broad). So, why aren't those places zoned for residential parking? It's certainly a residential area, they're definitely in zone 4, and there's not a school, firehouse, hospital or police station on any of the blocks I mentioned - if it's metered, why wouldn't it be zoned residential as well?

Posted by mattdrex

11:21 PM, 01/22/2010

Too high expectations
PPA is not an organization run by or for the citizens of philadelphia. Too many people take the cr#p they do personally, as if PPA was supposed to help the city or something. They aren't, they don't. If you have a car in the city, consider yourself lucky ... if you are visiting, consider yourself lucky if you leave the city with your car, if PPA doesn't get, someone else might ;-)

Posted by BigBenFranklin

02:07 AM, 01/28/2010

ppa people are dumb
My car after i put a new trans in was taken by the ppa at 5:00 a.m. i went to pay for the tickets but when I was told that there were tickets from 1984 totalling 26 tickets for 1700 dollars and they wanted me to pay for them also I asked about statue of limitations and was laughed at and ridiculed by the guy who interviewed me I brought 800.00 dollars to make arrangements they told me if i wasn't giving them 2350.00 they didn't want anything if I gave them that they would make arrangements on the other 500.00 I owed I told them all I could afford was the 800.00 for now would like to make arrangements on the rest and then I was told that if I couldn't pay the 2350 then they were going to keep my car and then I asked if I could use the bathroom I was told that the man handling my case would rush it thru and I could use the bus stations rest room down the street then I was kicked out by a guard because I was told I was being unruly If the city and state are so hard up for money they have the wrong people running the authority if someone is willing to pay and make arrangements they should grab the cash and the arrangement if the person defaults they can always boot the car again but they are so stupit they let 800.00 dolaars walk out the door and now they have to go through the process of getting the the car to auction I don't have the names of the people who took care of me now but I will retrieve it and publish it in tomorrows edition. I have thier names written down at home The governor should fire everyone and start fresh with new employees

Posted by jk1031

01:18 PM, 01/29/2010

Imagine...
...if every net dollar generated by PPA went directly to SEPTA, Regional Rail, PATCO, Riverline and other regional public transit.

Posted by ct23

12:19 PM, 02/04/2010

PPA Fine timetable
I received a parking ticket on December 24, 2009, for parking on north Broad Street prior to 9:30am on a week day. I was not aware that this particular section of north Broad Street was a no stopping zone, as the sign was located at the other end of the block (about 350 meters away). However; the ticket itself is not my complaint. I had no problem with paying the fine, and I learned from this mistake. The problems I have is the time limit in which payments are due, and if not paid they increase drastically. Because of the holiday season, and the timing of this ticket I was not able to pay the $51 fine within the 15 day time limit, then on the 17th day I received a notice in the mail that the fine had increased to $71. Still unable to make this payment I had no choice but to let it wait until I received my next pay, this was on January 29, 2010. When I went to PPA web site to pay this ticket online on January 29, the fees were now $98.50, this is utterly ridiculous, and should be against the law! If I am not mistaking there are laws either in effect or are working they’re way thought Congress that would stop banks from charging the public ridiculous fees, the same should apply to PPA. In these hard economic times I would propose that City Council have PPA set time limit of 30 days to pay the initial ticket giving citizens a fair chance of securing this unexpected expense, then if not paid to make increases at 14 day intervals.

Posted by TooMuchB_S

02:44 PM, 02/04/2010

PPA fees
I received a parking ticket on December 24, 2009, for parking on north Broad Street prior to 9:30am on a week day. I was not aware that this particular section of north Broad Street was a no stopping zone, as the sign was located at the other end of the block (about 150 meters). However; the ticket itself is not my complaint. I had no problem with paying the fine, and I learned from my mistake. The problems I had was the time limit in which payments are due, and if not paid they increase drastically. Because of the holiday season, and the timing of my ticket I was not able to pay the $51 fine within the 15 day time limit, then on the 17th day I received a notice in the mail that the fine had increased to $71. Still unable to make this payment I had no choice but to let it wait until I received my next pay, this was on January 29, 2010. When I went to PPA web site to pay this ticket online on January 29, the fees were now $98.50. Madam Councilwoman this is utterly ridiculous, and should be against the law! If I am not mistaking there are law either in effect or are working they’re way thought Congress that would stop banks from charging the public ridiculous fees. I would propose that City Council have PPA set time limit of 30 days to pay the initial ticket, then if not paid to make increases at 14 day intervals.

Posted by TooMuchB_S

08:31 PM, 02/08/2010

new parking meters
If you park at a new meter and pay for 3 hours and leave after 1 hour, can you use the ticket stub for the other hours at another location? If not, why not?

Posted by alb

03:17 PM, 03/02/2010

Tow zone
my car was towed in December for being on walnut street during the morning truck delivery only hours. That's fine, i misread the sign its completely my fault. My gripe is that the TOW ZONE notification is about 1 inch tall above the hours notification... complete BS. i have 20-20 vision and i missed it, there is no way an elderly person or someone with bad vision could read those signs.

Posted by raynesrock

11:50 AM, 03/05/2010

Bus Zone
Why ticket and enforce Bus stops when the Septa drivers even when they are clear dont pull in to them!

Posted by canalbluedog

07:58 AM, 03/10/2010

No Parking Ever
I live on 4400 Edgemont Street which is a residential block in the Bridesburg neighborhood of the city. On that block we have a caterer which has no lot, a bar, 3 different sets of garages,a neighbor that decided to make his own private driveway and only use it as his personal parking space,and what seems like a ton of Handicapped spots which are NOT being used as a spot to provide easier access for the disabled but as just a private spot to the property owners. Its like a battle royal trying to get parking especially on the weekends when the cater is hosting and the bar is full there is just no where at all for the residence of this street to park. Can someone please tell me what can be done about this. Doesn't the Parking Authority go out to these neighborhoods and look at the properties before they issue these handicap signs and allow people to just paint there own X's in the street.

Posted by inspcjj

03:34 PM, 03/30/2010

The New Parking Kiosk - pros & cons
First the pro's-you can park in any spot, can use debit/credit cards. now the cons - Can't use cards & money back to back, must use either or. If you use money & try to follow it with a card, it won't let you. it will print a ticket. If you don't use all the time up, you just lose it unless you drive somewhere else that has a kiosk.It won't accept one of my cards (no idea why, it just does not like that card), it won't accept wet bills (if it's raining & your bills get wet, it will spit it back at you, only gives a few minutes to get more moeny & then will print ticket. Once ticket is printed,you can't put in more money because the time will start all over again. Ain't technology grand?

Posted by phillygirlg

02:27 PM, 04/07/2010

unfair ticket
So I got a parking ticket on the 2600 block of Pennsylvania ave, the same block people park on the median, turn lanes, in traffic, etc at night. I asked the lady on the phone if I got a ticket for parking on the big white lines, why nobody else did. She said they would do a "sign review" I also wanted to know while I was on the phone with her why traffic parking laws down apply in south phlly, on south broad, etc but she had no answer :)

Posted by paramediccsmith

02:27 PM, 04/07/2010

unfair ticket
So I got a parking ticket on the 2600 block of Pennsylvania ave, the same block people park on the median, turn lanes, in traffic, etc at night. I asked the lady on the phone if I got a ticket for parking on the big white lines, why nobody else did. She said they would do a "sign review" I also wanted to know while I was on the phone with her why traffic parking laws down apply in south phlly, on south broad, etc but she had no answer :)

Posted by paramediccsmith

01:18 AM, 04/14/2010

Most corrupt org ever
The parking authority owes the citizens an independent audit of its finances as is dictated by law.

Posted by yawns

07:03 PM, 04/17/2010

Selective Enforcement
This morning as I traveled along Oregon Ave between Front St. and Broad I noticed the amount of cars and trucks illegally parked. The strange thing about this is that not one of these vehicles had a parking ticket on their windshield. I know the PPA works because my wife gets tickets in West Philly when the meter clicks 0000 the meter person is right there. So my question to the PPA and our Mayor that is always crying broke why don't you send those ticket happy PPA employees to South Phila. instead of Center City or University City and let them wear their little machines out making Oregon Ave a safer street. If some type of enforcement were to take place along the prized Italian Ave then it would be safer for pedestrians and cross traffic. I guess those people along Oregan Ave have some type of immunity against get a ticket because they park in cross walks and in space clearly marked for no parking. If I sound bitter I am because you can't do anytrhing in other parts of the city but Oregon Ave is a very unsafe street and nothing is ever done about it.

Posted by longdriver977

09:35 PM, 04/19/2010

Horrible
I came back to my car three minutes after the meter expired. The ticket was written the minute the meter expired. Somebody was standing there waiting for it so they could write me a ticket! And the office on Filbert? What a joke. If you give people an appointment time to show up, don't make them wait in the waiting room for an hour! And then wait another 20 minutes in the payment line. This agency needs an overhaul. Everything it does just aggravates people.

Posted by FreddyFo

07:55 PM, 04/24/2010

truck parking
My personal auto is a small ford ranger pick up truck, I parked on chestnut st ,paid the box , put it in the window of the truck and left to a meeting with P>I>D>C> of philla, when I came out of the meeting with the city I had a ticket for parking my truck on chestnut st. all because it was a truck..... I go to court for the ticket and i am told U drive a truck stay out of the city.... and pay the ticket, insted of that I sent a letter to the TV and news papers about it and it gets fixed, because the PPA does not like to get bad reports in the papers. the parking of trucks on walnut and chestnut st was for the delevery trucks that were blocking the streets not for the personal family trucks.

Posted by limoman191

09:26 PM, 06/30/2010

New Parking Meter (Pay Stations)
The New Parking Pay Stations are supposed to take credit cards. About 2/3's of the time, I can't get any of my credit cards to work. Has anyone looked into this?

Posted by NickEeee

02:50 PM, 08/21/2010

SDP Agreement
Do we really need parking revenue to feed Arlene Ackerman's own little fiefdom of patronage? I just don't see how giving that woman more with which to bloat the administrative payroll is going to help anyone but her. If those dollars are being efficiently used than why were there so many uncertified principals on the payroll IN VIOLATION OF PA LAW? When someone shows me a plan for holding the SRC accountable for failing to hold Arlene Ackerman, then maybe I'll be bothered about parking revenue going to the SD. As it is now, a few elites are living it up at the expense of the students. Giving them more money to burn isn't going to do anything but reward their bad behavior. BTW, anyone who cares about this can ask Corbett and Oranato if they intend to leave the profoundly dysfunctional SRC intact. The current Governor and Mayor obviously don't care if the SRC fiddles while Arlene Ackerman burns tax payer money and turns a blind eye to the suffering of students.

Posted by CatoTheElder

07:54 PM, 08/28/2010

Parking "Meters"
I can't tell you how many times I've used the "new" meters and had issues. Just last week I was on South St., and 2 out of 3 meters weren't working properly. One wouldn't accept any credit card, the other took my card but didn't give me a receipt, and I got lucky by the 3rd meter. Very frustrating. I prefer the old quarter meters at this point.

Posted by Yob

08:19 PM, 09/01/2010

Excellent job
The PPA is doing an excellent job of keeping shoppers and others who would like to come into the city from coming. Those of us in the burbs would like to see their salaries increased and the parking lot and meter fees doubled. Your efforts are appreciated by suburban merchants and business people more than you could possibly imagine. Thanks again for contributing to the vibrant economy outside of the city. By the way, we in the burbs have plenty of free parking and lower taxes for those in the city who have been inconvenienced by the parking situation in Philadelphia.

Posted by Fillzee

12:13 PM, 09/27/2010

kiosk expired tickets
I just paid my second parking ticket received in a kiosk parking spot. The first was issued one minute after the kiosk receipt expired, I arrived three minutes later. The second ticket was issued two minutes after the receipt expired, and I got to the car less than a minute later. In both cases, there wasn't a meter reader in sight by the time I arrived. I suspect the kiosk sends out an electronic alert when a receipt expires and the meter reader makes a beeline for that block. So for overstaying the meter by even just a minute or two, I end up paying 12x the cost of parking. Unlike with the meters, there's no inherent grace period. If you get stuck at the doctors office a few minutes longer than you expected, you don't have a sporting chance of avoiding a $36 ticket.

Posted by lsteltzer

01:17 PM, 11/05/2010

Paying Online
Okay, so my wife received a red-light ticket. So I go to phila.gov to pay it. The notice I received does not have a ticket number on it. So I put in the notice number - too long (seriously). So I call 311. They transfer me to te Parking Authority. I get tired of being on hold and, as the recorded voice tells me, I go to philly.com/parking. Almost home free. The violation is a bit over 30 days, so I click the over 30 link, which puts me where I was before. I tried the under 30-day link. Success! Harder than it had to be, as I had to deal with inconsistent links, but I got'er done.

Posted by jemasdad

01:17 PM, 11/05/2010

Paying Online
Okay, so my wife received a red-light ticket. So I go to phila.gov to pay it. The notice I received does not have a ticket number on it. So I put in the notice number - too long (seriously). So I call 311. They transfer me to te Parking Authority. I get tired of being on hold and, as the recorded voice tells me, I go to philly.com/parking. Almost home free. The violation is a bit over 30 days, so I click the over 30 link, which puts me where I was before. I tried the under 30-day link. Success! Harder than it had to be, as I had to deal with inconsistent links, but I got'er done.

Posted by jemasdad

01:17 PM, 11/05/2010

Paying Online
Okay, so my wife received a red-light ticket. So I go to phila.gov to pay it. The notice I received does not have a ticket number on it. So I put in the notice number - too long (seriously). So I call 311. They transfer me to te Parking Authority. I get tired of being on hold and, as the recorded voice tells me, I go to philly.com/parking. Almost home free. The violation is a bit over 30 days, so I click the over 30 link, which puts me where I was before. I tried the under 30-day link. Success! Harder than it had to be, as I had to deal with inconsistent links, but I got'er done.

Posted by jemasdad

01:17 PM, 11/05/2010

Paying Online
Okay, so my wife received a red-light ticket. So I go to phila.gov to pay it. The notice I received does not have a ticket number on it. So I put in the notice number - too long (seriously). So I call 311. They transfer me to te Parking Authority. I get tired of being on hold and, as the recorded voice tells me, I go to philly.com/parking. Almost home free. The violation is a bit over 30 days, so I click the over 30 link, which puts me where I was before. I tried the under 30-day link. Success! Harder than it had to be, as I had to deal with inconsistent links, but I got'er done.

Posted by jemasdad

01:17 PM, 11/05/2010

Paying Online
Okay, so my wife received a red-light ticket. So I go to phila.gov to pay it. The notice I received does not have a ticket number on it. So I put in the notice number - too long (seriously). So I call 311. They transfer me to te Parking Authority. I get tired of being on hold and, as the recorded voice tells me, I go to philly.com/parking. Almost home free. The violation is a bit over 30 days, so I click the over 30 link, which puts me where I was before. I tried the under 30-day link. Success! Harder than it had to be, as I had to deal with inconsistent links, but I got'er done.

Posted by jemasdad

01:17 PM, 11/05/2010

Paying Online
Okay, so my wife received a red-light ticket. So I go to phila.gov to pay it. The notice I received does not have a ticket number on it. So I put in the notice number - too long (seriously). So I call 311. They transfer me to te Parking Authority. I get tired of being on hold and, as the recorded voice tells me, I go to philly.com/parking. Almost home free. The violation is a bit over 30 days, so I click the over 30 link, which puts me where I was before. I tried the under 30-day link. Success! Harder than it had to be, as I had to deal with inconsistent links, but I got'er done.

Posted by jemasdad

10:37 AM, 11/22/2010

SUX
Thanks PPA, for making this great city an undesirable destination for tourist and residents alike.

Posted by dbash

06:18 PM, 01/25/2011

Grant homeowners space in front of house
The city should grant homeowners the space in front of their home as their designated parking space as long as there is parking allowed on both sides of the street. Even if they charged the owners the $20-30 fee yearly that they charge people for street parking permits. If someone parks there unauthorized, the PPA can tow them. Creates revenue and lowers the stress for homeowners. Elimates much of the shoveled & saved parking space problems.

Posted by kliffee

07:35 PM, 04/25/2011

Another find product...
Everything people say about the kiosks is true. Instructions are unclear and their reliability is, at best, poor. They frequently don't take credit cards; oftentimes they don't take bills. The kiosks time out and print tickets before you can get another bill in and fail to give refunds when you cancel a transaction. All of this is compounded by the PPA's ruthless enforcement of the rules. Parked in front of an "out of order" kiosk (only one on the block) and leaving a courteous sign on your windshield, expect a $36 ticket. Sure, if you take the time to contest the ticket and follow-through, they'll typically cancel the ticket (I've done it probably 6 times now as I have come to expect improper tickets when parking downtown or in W. Phila). But imagine what percent of people just pay. There is no justification for this and the PPA is unrepentant in its posture that these represent a benefit to the city (and the state, since they took PPA over). You hate to see people leave the city to shop and entertain themselves, but they drive you to it. BTW: In December 2009 a firm called ACS was given a huge contract by the PPA to do parking credit charge services. In July 2010, Mayor Nutter appointed Jeremiah Connors to the Bureau of Administrative Adjudication. Mr. Connors worked for a firm called ACS. Small world? New day, new way - huh Mr. Mayor? And did you ever check to see who's on the PPA Board? Joseph Ashdale (Painter's Union); Herman Matthews (AFSCME); Andrew Stutzman (Lawyer @ Stradley Ronon who represents mortgage lenders who, allegedly, rip off borrowers); Alfred Taubenberger (Greater Phila Chamber of Commerce and former mayoral candidate); Russell Wagner (CPA and donor to Taubenberger); Karen Wrigley (Optometrist). They clearly have a close tie to the issues involved in governing the PPA. It makes me sick and it should do the same for you.

Posted by JonGold

09:12 AM, 07/28/2011

South Letitia Street
I parked on South Letitia Street in Old City and received a ticket for facing the wrong way. This narrow street is only wide enough for one car to pass but is still a two way street. So, it is understandably difficult to determine which way is the correct way to park. I understand why this parking rule exists as it allows for uniformity and safety. That said, yesterday, I snapped three pictures of a PPA car parked facing the wrong way. There was no emergent reason for the car to be parked the wrong way (the PPA officer was laughing on the phone). I am happy to see, once again, that the rules that allow for safety apply only to the citizen drivers, not the PPA officers.

Posted by themayor

10:53 AM, 07/28/2011

PPA Illegal Parking...smoking etc..
The PPA needs to take a dose of their own pill. For many years I've parked at the 9th and Fillburt Garage and PPA constantly parks on the sidewalk next to the exit. YOU HAVE A WHOLE F'ING GARAGE TO PARK IN....but yet you park on the sidewalk blocking any handicap people on the sidewalk. The employees SMOKE while inside the garage on a daily basis ignoring the NO Smoking signs...but I guess they probably can't read since they are mostly bottom of the barrel workers. Calls/emails to PPA mgmt were ignored. While I believe there needs to be someone policing the city parking I just think that PPA has done an aweful job of it.

Posted by jalto

02:24 PM, 07/28/2011

Overnight Street Sign
I parked my car on my block in Manayunk on a Sunday night. The next morning I went to work using Septa. When I returned home I found (1) a newly installed "no parking" sign and (2) a parking ticket on my car. I called the Streets Department and they confirmed that the Parking Authority installed the sign. I have complained about it and PPA has yet to make a final decision.

Posted by jasonjavie

02:51 PM, 07/28/2011

11 years later, nothing's changed...
In 2000, some heartless PPA hack watched as my wife exited her vehicle, newborn baby in hand, to drop deposit envelopes in an outside bank deposit drawer. Granted, she was stopped (engine running, flashers on) in a no stopping zone for less than a minute. She only risked it because she had a newborn and didn't want to leave her in the car, nor be forced to pay a fortune to PPA to park for five minutes and walk a mile just to put a stupid envelope in a deposit drawer. Fine, I'd gladly pay the ticket if that were she received. But what happened next was unbelievable. There was a PPA tow truck on the street and the PPA meter commando decided to flex some muscle by not merely ticketing the car but having it towed despite my wife's immediate return and pleas for the car. They wouldn't even allow her to get her purse or the baby bag from the vehicle, leaving her stranded in center city with a newborn baby, no money, no phone, no diapers, and no food for the baby. Naturally, I was furious, when she finally managed to call me from a kind passerby's cell phone. But PPA was yet to show just how heartless and low they could be. Turns out, the car was towed due to outstanding parking tickets on the plate, not her brief stop. We had no idea there were outstanding tickets nor had we ever recieved anything from PPA alerting us to that fact. We subsequently discovered that the tickets were actually received by the dealer from whom we bought our vehicle. The dealer amassed several tickets in a totally different vehicle using an unissued plate and then subsequently issued the plate to us when we bought our vehicle from them a few weeks later. We definitively proved to PPA that we did not own the plate or vehicle at time of ticketing (we produced purchase receipts, insurance records, registration records, title records, etc.) And on top of that, PPA records showed that the tickets were issued to a black Jeep. We owned a blue minivan. They were both Chrysler products because it was a Chrysler dealer, a very popular (and very shady) Philadelphia Chrysler dealer. PPA told us that because the tickets were older than two years, we lost our right to appeal. I was in complete disbelief. Despite being able to prove we weren't responsible for the tickets and the PPA agent's own acknowledgement that we were innocent, the only option we were given was to pay the tickets and penalties to get our vehicle back. Once again, because it was beyond two years, we were told we had no right to fight it. Thank goodness these folks don't run the court systems. People would go to death row despite proving their innocence beyond all doubt. After paying them several hundred dollars in what I feel to this day was an illegal shakedown, they gave us one final indignity as we drove away. They nearly wrecked my vehicle by having steel posts shoot up from the ground as we tried to exit. The idiot in charge of the entry/exit wasn't paying attention when they informed him we were okay to leave. So when he saw us driving away, he hit the button in a panic, causing the posts to shoot up and miss my vehicle by inches. Crooks, idiots, and low lives still to this day I see.

Posted by moose_man

03:59 PM, 07/31/2011

Expired Inspection
The situation: I got a $41 ticket for an expired inspection which was placed next to the florescent green inspection sticker that reads 6-12. Ticket, dated 7-21-11, by Badge # 00-296. The note says I do not have "temp tags." I called the PPA and stated my case. The customer service agent said maybe I do have expired tags. She noted that since the ticket was issued in July and my inspection sticker expired in June, the ticket was valid. I explained that the fact that my inspection expires in June of 2012 which was still 11 months away. She told me there was nothing she could do except schedule a hearing. I will lose more than $41 to take the day off work. I will pay the ticket. Seriously, though, its a basic reading mistake. 1) The city needs to allow citizens to fight parking tickets by mail, online and by phone. Other states already do this. Cases like this would be open and shut. I have the receipts of my inspection, pictures of my car with the obvious clear placement of both up to date stickers (license plates and windshield). Usually in other states, citizens lose the right to appeal if they fight by mail/online and cannot answer questions. This drawback will deter citizens who do not have a clear case from fighting online/by mail. 2) The PPA should give me $41 and compensate me for my time that I spend on the phone with them explaining the difference between 2011 and 2012. I'll settle for $41 and a promise to install a hotline to fight tickets.

Posted by Johnny11

08:56 AM, 09/01/2011

Residential Parking
This past Tuesday at 2:43 PM I received an expired meter ticket parking on the 200 block of S. 13th street between Locust and Spruce. My car has a Zone 1 Residential Parking permit that is valid. From South Street to Locust street, the signs clearly state Residential Parking for Zones 1-4. My car had been parked all day Monday and is still in the same spot I received the ticket from on Tuesday. The PPA officer wrote in the notes section that I had a valid Zone 1 sticker. However, for some reason I still received a $36 expired meter ticket. The block that I parked on only has three spots, and I parked in the middle spot. There are signs at both ends of the three spots with clearly marked residential zoning parking for 1 & 4. When I called PPA, I did speak to a very nice customer service representative who stated that she was going to put a hold on the ticket until someone from the residential parking division investigated. She said that the hold would be in place until September 28th, however, if I do not receive a letter by the 28th, the hold would be lifted and I will be charged late fees. She instructed me to call back on the 28th if I did not receive a letter removing the ticket. It's pretty amazing that 1) it will take 30 days for someone to walk to the 200 block of S. 13th street to see with their own eyes that there is residential parking for zones 1 & 4. 2) Doesn't PPA have a map showing where the residential parking zones are? 3) It's clear that the ticket is invalid because I have yet to receive any additional tickets as my car remains in the same spot.

Posted by joshlx17

11:01 AM, 09/01/2011

Scooter Parking
Scooter parking crackdown is taking place within an area of center city that is not visually identified by any type of signs or markings. If you happen to park your scooter somewhere against a building (even with the owner's permission), but you are within so many blocks of the PPA's new motorcycle & scooter parking kiosks, you get a ticket. Since when does the PPA have authority over what I do on my own property? Problem is, no one is ticketing the cabs and delivery trucks that are often sitting or parking illegally in these spots. The City allowed the PPA to convert some car spaces into motorcycle spaces, providing that the change was "revenue neutral", meaning that one $1 per hour car spot should be converted into four $0.25 per hour motorycle or scooter spots. Problem is, PPA decided to charge double, or $0.50 per hour per vehicle. If this isn't evidence that the PPA is simply a revenue-making entity, I do not know what is. Taxation without Representation is Tyranny! This agency must be stopped, authority given back to our local Philadelphia government, the Governor should divert all of the PPAs assets and resources towards other funding needs, like our schools.

Posted by jfazekas

11:58 AM, 09/01/2011

' Bigmo the Boss'
Type in 'Bigmo the Boss' on blogtalkradio.com and listen to my show on the parking authority......choose the show titled 'Parking wars'. Maybe through my show you can get a better understanding about the PPA.

Posted by bigmo the boss

02:24 PM, 09/01/2011

Pa Parking Authority
Pennsylvania Parking Authority: anyone else notice pittsburgh is dealing with the same issues? the parking authority won't turn revenue over to the city. they are issuing tickets that people don't deserve. they raised rates and extended enforcement to 10 pm but only allow you to buy an hour at a time for $3 an hour...all in quarters. is there a particular reason why the problems are so similar? why don't both cities contract with private operators to run street parking competently?

Posted by dreinterests

01:03 PM, 09/10/2011

Let's Change it...
After reading most of the reviews here about the PPA, I can only wonder why we haven't attempted to instill rules onto the PPA. Most likely it's politics as usual. We're all citizens living too busy a life to organize, so we allow our elected officials to deal with it and their too naïve, corrupt, or busy to see the problem. I received a parking ticket right in front of my house, [believe it or not I got a spot right out front in South Philly], for not having a parking permit. Well in fact I do have a parking permit posted in the correct spot indicated by PPA when you received the sticker. I fought the ticket on the web site and got no response. Today I received a letter to renew my permit along with a penalty fee for not paying the ticket I have had other encounters with PPA but I'm done with complaining about, it solves nothing. What can we do, speak up if you have an answer. I'm listening.

Posted by NickCacia

08:41 AM, 09/13/2011

Out of state tickets
I will never forget going into the city during the "park free" promotion the city was touting a few years ago, and receiving a ticket for an expired meter that was supposed to be free. At least I wasn't the only one, every car that was parked around me with out of state plates had a ticket, no PA cars did. I guess they figured out of state cars wouldn't fight it.

Posted by Poge Mahone

10:35 AM, 09/13/2011

They protect some area's
I've given up complaining about the NON ticket writing in my area. I live in Wynnefield near StJoe's and have call the police and have stopped PPA drivers in the neighborhood to explain the problem. (I think they Protect the students or are wary of Political Backlash if they write the wrong ticket ;-) PPA jobs are Political. Students constantly over park our Corners and driveways making it difficult to merge in. Student Reverse park (I think that is the term) "No Parking Signs" have been knocked down to avoid tickets. Just go to the Tennis Courts and you will see how hard it is to Merge unless you have a SUV. Drive down towards 57th and wynnefield across from Gompers and you will see cars parked too close to the Driveway opening again making it hard to merge in.

Posted by RandyWatson

06:37 PM, 11/21/2011

Selective Ticketing
I think what gets me the most upset about the PPA is the way they are inconsistent with their ticket writing. I recently moved to the Graduate Hospital area about 6 months ago and have racked up more parking tickets in that time then I've received in my entire life. The part that is the most frustrating is that the rules don't seem to apply to everyone in my neighborhood. There are multiple spots around my house that will have a car parked in it for months without a ticket, yet as soon as I pull into them, I have a ticket on my windshield less than an hour later. Is there some sort of favoritism for the "locals"? I've had neighbors offer me their spots when they leave only to receive a ticket the next day while said neighbor never had an issue. I don't leave my car in 2 hour parking or block fire hydrants and am always careful to read the signs on each block. What am I doing wrong?

Posted by ErinInTheCity

07:31 PM, 02/28/2012

Unreasonable examiner
In a non-metered street, I parked for an hour, then moved the car to the next block and parked for another hour. But because those two blocks shared a block number (4350 on one block, 4334 on the next block), the hearing examiner wouldn't budge, even though I brought maps and photos showing it was physically two different blocks. OK, I said, but why the extra penalty? I mailed my letter contesting the ticket on time. No, he says, checking his computer. Your letter was postmarked within the required 15 days, but we did not receive it until the next day. So I was fined $46 for being right but not right enough.

Posted by barbarajaffe

04:37 PM, 05/12/2012

Kiosk locator
I spent a few hours trying to locate a kiosk that is supposedly "all over the city" I still cannot find one. You need to have a kiosk locator on the PPA website so anyone has a reasonable chance of following the rules. The way it is now your basically guaranteed some kind of ticket if your a n00b and are parking somewhere to get some place ON TIME. Idiots.

Posted by MadAsHell7777