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Smaller textPittsburgh parking ticket writers to make up snow days
That's the ticket
Joe Appel/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Adam Brandolph is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review staff writer and can be reached at 412-320-7886, via e-mail or on Twitter.
If you're parking in Pittsburgh, make sure to put money in the meter — and don't park illegally.
Pittsburgh Parking Authority enforcement officers will work longer hours this spring to help recoup $285,000 lost during last month's snowstorm, officials said.
"It was a substantial hit," David Onorato, executive director of the parking authority, said about money lost when nearly 20 inches of snow fell Feb. 5-6. "There were no collections at all for a two-week period, and we usually collect every day."
Parking officials suspended meter collection and enforcement for about two weeks because mounds of snow blocked meters. Full-time parking enforcement officers were told to take 10 days' vacation, or to take unpaid leave and collect unemployment, and part-time officers did so for three weeks. Onorato said despite not having to pay those employees, the nearly $200,000 cost of snow removal offset the savings.
To recoup some of the money, Onorato might increase the time 18 part-time parking enforcement officers work each day, from 6 hours to 8 hours. The extra hours won't impact the authority's $32 million budget because of the hours they didn't work last month, he said.
"We're trying to calculate out now what we have to do for the remainder of the year, to try to break even and hit our budget numbers," Onorato said. "When the weather gets nicer in the spring and we're out there, maybe we can increase their hours ... and that would give us additional tickets."
Parking enforcement officers issued 7,626 tickets last month, compared to 22,400 tickets in February 2009. Gross revenue from meter collection was $276,773 last month and $443,486 the prior February.
"Basically, we're seeing right now is if we can save expenses somewhere along the line. But it was a hit to everyone, not just us. ... We're not in this position alone," Onorato said.
People parking at Downtown meters said tougher enforcement wouldn't bother them too much.
"I keep a bag of quarters in my car because I know they're vigilant," said Robin Castillo of Bethel Park. "I pay anyway, so it doesn't matter to me."
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