I have to move my car every 2 hours thanks to a new law – it now costs $150 a month to park at my work

PARKING rules have changed, adding a strict two-hour limit and expensive bills for city center staff.

Drivers working in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, spoke out after the parking limit change sent them back to searching for spots every two hours.

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Last month, the city changed parking rules downtown.

Now, drivers must take their cars to an entirely different parking zone every two hours. City officials told drivers the rules will increase vehicle turnover and increase consumer spending in the city center.

But downtown employees say there is no exclusion during their hour-long shifts.

They complained that the new laws took them away from work every two hours and asked them to pay more for meters.

“Parking is hard to find,” restaurant worker Shannon Burcham told the local NBC affiliate. WCNC.

“I went to renew my parking lot like I have been doing for the last two and a half years. It said, ‘Sorry, maximum parking time allowed. You must move to a different zone.'”

Burcham said he has been using the ParkMobile app on his phone for years.

Previously, the restaurant employee was able to log into the app and update the hourly rate assigned to the meter without interrupting her work.

But now, she has to quit her job and find a new parking spot in another streetside zone to ensure she doesn’t get a parking ticket.

She also estimated parking would cost $150 a month.

“I don’t know of any job that allows you to go out every two hours to find new parking spaces,” she told the station.

“There are lots of lots, but I can’t justify paying $15 a day for my work.”

The US Sun reached out to the ParkMobile app and the City of Charlotte Department of Transportation to see if there will be any changes for downtown service employees.

Neither of them responded immediately.

The city also plans to extend the time that city center parkers need to feed the meter.

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 take 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

Previously, drivers had to pay for parking in the city center until 6pm.

Eventually, they will launch paid parking until 10 p.m., but officials have not announced when the change will take effect.

Burcham, the sole breadwinner for his family of three, said the upcoming parking rules will continue to cut into his wallet.

She said she was not alone. She told the station that other local service employees were facing increasing budget constraints.

“It’s a huge inconvenience for everyone,” she added.

“They can’t justify that expense.”