Angry drivers face rising parking fines as fines increase from $15 to $90 – but some road users will see some relief

MOTORISTS are bracing for increased parking fines at a popular hub after city officials said a $1.8 million shortfall forced a change.

Parking fines will rise from $15 to a tiered system that could see drivers pay up to $90.

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Allentown, Pennsylvania’s City Council voted unanimously to increase parking fines after months of debate.

Fines will increase to between $35 and $50 for the initial violation.

They can increase if drivers don’t pay the fine immediately.

Fines would increase to $65 after 10 days without payment, and the maximum fine would be $90.

Now that the Allentown City Council has approved the increase, the five-member parking authority board must approve the new fees.

The committee will vote on increasing fines on June 26th.

If the increased tickets are approved, drivers should expect the increases on July 1st.

The City Council negotiated a protection for low-wage residents to approve the rules.

Several members were concerned about the impact on poorer residents.

The parking authority is expected to implement a payment plan that allows residents to pay their fines in increments without incurring additional fees.

Previously, all drivers had to pay the full fine at once.

INCREASE THE NEED

The city’s parking authority requested a change to the parking code after running a $1.8 million budget deficit.

Previously, all parking tickets in the city were $15.

The Allentown Parking Authority has changed its all-day service operating hours to between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.

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

The reduction in working hours reduced the agency’s cash flow because drivers who parked overnight, between closing and reopening, were not fined.

Instead of increasing the agency’s work hours, city officials have struggled with the decision to increase fines.

Jon Haney, a spokesman for the Allentown Parking Authority, said the agency intended to increase the fines because they were “out of sync with current times.”

Haney argued that low-cost fines were not a useful deterrent to inadequate parking.

“Parking fines are affordable for the public, so drivers choose to park illegally for convenience and incur an affordable fine,” the spokesperson told the city council, according to The Morning Call.

The agency also noted that $15 was well below what other large Pennsylvania cities charged for illegal parking.