‘It’s a bad idea’, drivers insist as new law is introduced limiting free parking in popular shopping areas

SHOPPERS and residents were left disappointed after city lawmakers announced they were revoking free city center parking.

A developing shopping area is reviving paid parking, even after it failed the first time.

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Panama City, Florida is known for its numerous shopping options for residents and tourists in the city center.

Shoppers could spend hours going from store to store as they didn’t have to worry about parking meters or paying for a parking space.

However, starting May 1, that changed when city lawmakers announced plans to implement paid parking for shoppers in the city center.

Council members said parking fees would start on Harrison Avenue at $1 per hour but leave most of the area open for parking.

Jenna Haligas, a Panama City Commission board member, said businesses began complaining about multiple cars parked in front of their stores for more than two hours.

Because of the low return on parking spaces, many claimed this hurt sales.

“It all started with complaints from companies,” Haligas told the NBC affiliate WJHG-TV.

“What we want to do is manage that parking lot and make sure people aren’t sitting there for more than two or more than 24 hours.”

To ease the tension, city commissioners also told the outlet that shoppers can choose to park in several free lots that will dot the area.

The only paid parking will be along Harrison Avenue.

Revenue from paid parking would go back to the city to help fund future development projects as the city center grows.

Commissioners said nothing is set in stone as they try to come up with a solid plan to improve business.

More than 600 comments were added to Facebook publish of the outlet, with many drivers expressing their displeasure at the change.

“This is a bad idea,” wrote one driver, indicating that free parking helped encourage shoppers.

“It is regrettable that our city is so poor that it is necessary to have other sources of income and stop the nickel and reduce consumers.”

Another commenter wrote that paid parking would divert people from visiting and cause even more harm to businesses.

How to Fight a Parking Ticket

You can avoid being fined by following all published laws and regulations, but sometimes mistakes are made

Like any form of citation, parking tickets can be avoided by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes can be made.

Suddenly there’s a ticket you weren’t prepared to pay for. If the ticket comes as a surprise to you, there are some things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.

• Read the ticket carefully. Look for errors such as incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Errors would render the ticket invalid.
• Take pictures. The vehicle in the space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that were not cited for performing the same parking service. If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with time and date is accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or on crooked posts, or that are not “obvious” are also great things to photograph.
• Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If it is not listed, the ticket is not valid.
• Immediately follow the appeal instructions on the ticket. All legitimate tickets will have appeal instructions. Waiting until the last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
• When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
  • “I didn’t know the law.”
  • “I was going to move my car.”
  • “I can’t pay this ticket.”
  • “I’ve been doing this for years.”
  • “I checked with the parking officer, who said everything was fine.”
• Contact a lawyer. If you are facing obstacles and feel stuck, you may want to contact a traffic lawyer in your area. Many have free case consultations.

Source: Reader Summary

“We love going downtown and parking is sometimes difficult,” they wrote.

“Charging to park in an area that is only now starting to be revitalized will drive customers away.”

Someone reminded other readers of the city’s previous attempt to implement paid parking along the main strip, only to revoke it to encourage shopping.

“I remember when parking meters were removed to promote downtown businesses with free parking,” the comment read.

“Now we’re back to parking meters to control ‘vagrant’ parking.”