Detroit to start ticketing cars after 6 p.m., but meters still list old rules

[stinkytofu]

http://www.freep.com/article/2011070...list-old-rules

A few hours before Detroit begins ticketing cars after extending its parking enforcement period, the city's thousands of meters may leave motorists confused or even angry.

Although parking enforcers plan to issue tickets until 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, beginning tonight, some parking meters still assure motorists that enforcement ends at 6 p.m. while others say it ends at 4 p.m.
Calls to the Municipal Parking Department have gone unanswered. Mayor Dave Bing's Office said it's checking into the issue.

The new extended enforcement period is part of a plan to raise an additional $10 million from drivers to help offset the city's $155-million deficit.
The city last Friday ended an amnesty program that allowed those with tickets to pay 50% of the fees. City officials said they had hoped to collect the $35 millions that’s owed the city in parking tickets and late fees.

Making the issue even more of a challenge is the fact that downtown is to host several big events this weekend, starting Friday with the Warped Music Tour festival at Comerica Park. In addition, visitors are already arriving downtown for the 2011 Detroit Gold Cup which is to hold a practice on Friday on the Detroit River.

There are some very stupid people running this city.

[Detroitnerd]

Yeah, if you want to extend enforcement hours, you should at least change the meters.

[313rd]

Is it every meter in the City of Detroit? or certain areas?

[mtburb]

Is it every meter in the City of Detroit? or certain areas?

Just downtown.

[Joseph C. Krause]

[drools on self]

[rjk]

Not a bad way to make some money.
Why not also lower the speed limits, but leave the old signs up?

[mtburb]

Why not also lower the speed limits, but leave the old signs up?

If you want something similar, then drive down Kennebec Street in Riverview. There no longer is a SMART route on that street bus the bus stop signs are still up. I know this is off topic though.

[bartock]

To raise more money, Detroit should make ALL parking spaces in the city handicapped. Those tickets are expensive, and that would generate a lot of money! They don't even have to paint the spaces blue or put signs up! People wouldn't even know until they saw the ticket!!!

[JBMcB]

Seems to be old hat for the city. One of my friends almost got a ticket for making a left onto the I-75 service drive from Mack when there was no sign indicating that you couldn't. He dared the cop to show him the sign and the cop actually relented[[!)

Another got a parking ticket for failing to pay a meter that wasn't installed yet [[they were installed the following week) I guess he should have just left the money on the ground.

[internet_pseudopod]

And now a word from Admiral Akbar on the state of downtown metered parking...

[Detroit_uke]

It's a trap! Thanx for the warning, Akbar

[Zacha341]

Just another reason to avoid downtown. Sad.

Just downtown.

[royce]

Well, the city is expecting that everyone watched the local newscasts this week and so if you didn't hear about the parking enforcement changes, then you can't say the city didn't inform you. Doesn't help out of town guests, but that's the city for you - screw the uninformed. I would hope that there are some signs downtown or on the parking meter pay stations that inform drivers of this change. If anyone expected the city to physically change all of the meters' times or times on signs, then you haven't lived in or around Detroit long enough.

[Zacha341]

ROTFL!! ----

and now a word from admiral akbar on the state of downtown metered parking...

[Zacha341]

Grand idea! Those with a bit of remaining desire to continue to come downtown will surely throw in the towel behind that!

To raise more money, Detroit should make ALL parking spaces in the city handicapped. Those tickets are expensive, and that would generate a lot of money! They don't even have to paint the spaces blue or put signs up! People wouldn't even know until they saw the ticket!!!

[wolverine]

This is why I park in a garage when I visit Detroit. I'd rather support a private business than the city government.

[jerrytimes]

Smart Detroit. You're trying to get more people in the city, so lets make it easier to ticket them.....

[andrew.w]

I seem to remember that a lot of meters simply say "hours enforced shown on sign," or something to that effect. So the city doesn't even have to change all of the meters.

Which, every time that I parked at one of those unmarked meters, there was of course no sign in sight.

[internet_pseudopod]

It's a trap! Thanx for the warning, Akbar

I don't know what we'd do without him!

[Enduro]

I like how they compare this policy to Royal Oak, Berkley and Ferndale. Cities with amble, reasonably priced, city owned parking lots/garages. This is only going to encourage more building demos to create more flat, privately owned, high priced parking lots.

I guess the only bright side to this is an increased "police-like" presence downtown at night but don't hold your breath for any crime prevention. I've waved a meter maid down once asking them to call the authorities. She looked at me like I just asked her to give me a thousand dollar bill. The crooks will understand they won't bother them. Honor among thieves, I suppose.

[Enduro]

Oh, and I like the sound of Mayor Akbar!

[Zacha341]

I've worked in the border suburbs for stretches of time and as annoying as their after 6:00PM parking enforcements [[like Royal Oak and Ferndale), many of their meters offer 2 hour options. More of downtown D's meters need to be converted to 2 hour set up. How's one to wanna' wolf down food, watch-gazing at 8:00 PM knowing you only have an hour... yeah I guess you just get up and feed the meter again...... got it.

I like how they compare this policy to Royal Oak, Berkley and Ferndale. Cities with amble, reasonably priced, city owned parking lots/garages. This is only going to encourage more building demos to create more flat, privately owned, high priced parking lots.

I guess the only bright side to this is an increased "police-like" presence downtown at night but don't hold your breath for any crime prevention. I've waved a meter maid down once asking them to call the authorities. She looked at me like I just asked her to give me a thousand dollar bill. The crooks will understand they won't bother them. Honor among thieves, I suppose.

[Rocko]

Here is the Detroit News' logical take on the situation:

July 08. 2011 1:00AM
Editorial: Parking ticket pitfalls in Detroit

City's plan to step up parking enforcement could backfire if it discourages visits to the city

There's no question that Detroit needs money, and lots of it, to solve its budget problems. But if raising money by aggressively writing parking tickets hurts a rebounding downtown, then the strategy is counterproductive.

Writing parking tickets is one of the things Detroit does really well. Motorists can count on finding a citation on their windshields within minutes of a meter running out. In all, Detroit writes 300,000 tickets annually.

It's an aggravation that can sour an otherwise pleasant experience for visitors that downtown businesses are desperate to lure. And the tickets often go unpaid — the current outstanding balance on parking tickets is $35 million.

So there's no guarantee that the city's plan to extend enforcement hours to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday will generate the $10 million in new revenue that Detroit projects. Currently, enforcement of meters ends at 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the city reaps just under $10 million in revenue.

The extension will particularly hurt entertainment businesses such as bars and restaurants, whose patrons will have to run back and forth to the meters every hour or two to deposit coins. Only a portion of the city's meters take credit cards, meaning a downtown visitor will have to come with plenty of quarters. City officials say the new policy mimics that of suburban communities, such as Royal Oak and Birmingham.

But those towns don't have to work as hard to attract evening visitors. The hassle of feeding meters downtown might be just enough to keep potential customers in the suburbs. Businesses are worried about the impact of the policy change. They should be.

And Detroit should at least consider a trial period for this new policy before fully committing to it. Detroit doesn't need to give reluctant visitors one more reason to avoid a trip downtown.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110708/...#ixzz1RWKAgylA

[Danny]

Detroit city government and its failed Black leaders in the City council and the mayor needs some money. So the ticketing cars after 6:00pm is the next option since the night scene in Downtown Detroit is booming.

[Rocko]

Free Press is on the ball too. Glad to see the press is reporting this, if anything just to people are AWARE, because our dim-crayon leaders are trying to piss people off left and right and will be very successful.......

Detroit's parking plan hits roadblock as many meters not updated with the new hours

http://www.freep.com/article/20110708/NEWS01/107080441/Detroit-s-parking-plan-hits-roadblock-many-meters-not-updated-new-hours?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p


Detroit put the brakes on a plan to extend parking enforcement until 10 p.m. starting Thursday because the city never updated thousands of parking meters with the new hours of enforcement.

The city planned to begin issuing $20 tickets Thursday evening to drivers whose cars were parked at expired meters as part of extended enforcement hours established by the city as a way to generate revenue.

But on Thursday, meters from downtown to Midtown still assured motorists that enforcement ends at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., depending on the location and the type of meters.

The Free Press checked more than 60 meters, mostly in downtown, and none was updated with the new hours late Thursday.

"The Parking Department is still in the process of changing the stickers" on the meters, said Dan Lijana, spokesman for Mayor Dave Bing. "We will not enforce a meter that does not have the proper signage."

The new extended enforcement period is part of a plan to raise an additional $10 million from drivers to help offset the city's $155-million deficit.

The mayor's office offered little insight into why the city failed to update meters by Thursday.

The mayor's office also couldn't say whether any meters have been updated and when the city expects full enforcement to begin.

Marlon Jones, 55, of Detroit said he always checks the enforcement hours before he parks.

"This parking thing is ridiculous. It's sickening," said Jones, who added that he tries to avoid parking at meters. "It makes me want to stop driving and ride a bike."

Last Friday, the city ended an amnesty program that allowed those with tickets to pay 50% of the fees. Detroit officials said they had hoped to collect the $35 million that they say is owed the city in parking tickets and late fees.

Jones said he paid $500 in parking tickets and fees last week.

Making the parking issue even more of a challenge is the fact that downtown is to host at least two major events this weekend, starting today with the Warped Music Tour festival at Comerica Park.

In addition, visitors began arriving downtown Thursday for the 2011 Detroit Gold Cup, which is to hold a practice today on the Detroit River.