The cost of a parking ticket in Allentown will officially increase Monday, after the parking authority’s board of directors agreed to implement several measures they hope will alleviate the impact of fee increases on poorer residents.
The increase will go forward in spite of an attempt by council member Ce-Ce Gerlach to hold a “reconsideration” vote that would have reversed the increase. The reconsideration failed 2-5.
The increase in fees will help the authority plug a $1.8 million budget shortfall, and officials say other measures to both increase revenue and crack down on illegal parking are on the table, including restoring 24/7 parking patrols — a practice that ended last year amid criticism.
At a Wednesday meeting, board members unanimously voted to take the first step toward the following:
- Conducting a comprehensive study of parking meters in the city, to determine if any can be removed or added
- Implementing an internal payment plan, so residents who cannot afford a parking ticket can pay in increments instead of a lump sum.
Allentown City Council on June 5 passed an ordinance that would increase most parking ticket fines in the city beginning July 1, but the increase was contingent on the parking authority taking those measures.
The board already discussed and began work on both the parking study and internal payment plan, but was unable to finalize either because of budget constraints, according to board member Santo Napoli.
The cost of the study could be around $40,000 and the payment plan between $30,000 and $40,000, although exact amounts were not immediately available. On the other hand, the increased fees are expected to bring in an additional $600,000 in revenue, which would help address the authority’s financial problems and fund other citywide parking initiatives.
“I think it is a great move to help better service our customers and residents,” Napoli said of the payment plan.
But council member Ce-Ce Gerlach, at a city council meeting Wednesday, said she had second thoughts about the vote to increase fees.
“The disproportionate effect this increase, even with the payment plans, will have on working class people,” Gerlach said of her reasoning to reconsider the increase.
Yamilett Gomez, a former parking board member who resigned in May, also spoke during public comment at city council Wednesday to oppose the fee increase. She had advocated for the payment plan while on the board, and said the plan should be in place before the increases take effect, not the other way around.
“I should not have to continuously, every meeting, state the community needs this payment arrangement,” Gomez said.
The increase in parking ticket fees is expected to increase the parking authority’s excess revenue by 58%, according to an amended budget that the board also voted on Wednesday.
The majority of parking ticket penalties, for violations such as parking in a no parking zone, parking too far from the curb or parking in a crosswalk, are just $15, increasing to $25 after 10 days and $70 until a citation is issued. The new rates would be $35-$50 for violations, up to $65 after 10 days and up to $90 upon a citation.
A precise breakdown of the new ticket costs is available on the parking authority’s website.
Board Chair Ted Zeller indicated the parking authority also could soon take up restoring round-the-clock parking patrols. The authority ceased such patrols in 2023 after a number of residents complained they had been unfairly ticketed. Parking officers now actively patrol the city 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and respond to safety-related complaints 24/7 that are reported via a dispatch number, 610-349-0400.
The end of round-the-clock parking patrols appeared to appease disgruntled residents, but Zeller said the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction — the authority now faces complaints that it is not adequately addressing illegal parking.
“We’ve almost shifted the burden of enforcement to the public,” Zeller said.
Patti Engler, an Allentown resident and former district judge in the area, said during public comment that she is in favor of restoring round-the-clock patrols.
“Countless times residents have told me they’d come home and can’t get into their garage. That’s a problem,” Engler said. “The problem is there’s no longer overnight patrols happening in the city.”
Zeller said the authority could take up the issue soon, but said he would like to fill the vacancy left by Gomez’ departure on the board before voting to restore the patrols.
Zeller said that if the authority restored round-the-clock patrols, overnight officers would issue tickets for parking safety violations only, not issues like expired car inspections or registrations.
Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.
