PPA Backs Off Ticketing Scooter Sidewalk Parkers — For Now

Parking authority recently began handing out $76 tickets to scooter owners who parked on the sidewalk. Owners say they have no other safe choices

After irking scores of scooter owners in the city, the Philadelphia Parking Authority says they're dialing back on their recent ticketing crackdown on drivers who park the two-wheeled vehciles on the sidewalk -- in some places, for now.

NBC10.com told you on Tuesday how the PPA recently began handing out $76 tickets to scooter owners who parked on the sidewalks after failing to enforce the rule for the past four years -- as they installed new parking kisoks around the city.

Scooter owners rebuked the move saying the agency didn't give them enough notice about the change and, more troublesome, has not provided secure parking spots to lock up the vehicles. Officials said drivers should be parking in designated motorcycle parking spots, but these spots do not have racks where scooters can be locked to.

Following a meeting with Councilman Mark Squilla, the PPA said on Friday they will temporarily relax its scooter parking enforcement as they develop new guidelines and review new parking options.

"Over the course of the next week, the PPA will develop procedures to issue Residential Parking Permits (RPP) for scooters. The program will set clear guidelines for permissible scooter sidewalk parking on residential blocks," PPA Executive Director Vince Fenerty said in a statement.

Fenerty added that scooter sidewalk parking along commerical streets, like the busy shopping district along Walnut Street near Rittenhouse Square, is still banned.

The PPA is also taking a look at current scooter parking options in those commerical areas and plans to offer new "solutions intended to provide secure, convenient scooter parking in business areas," according to Fenerty.

Fenerty expects to announce new scooter parking options and policies next week -- including offering scooter owners the chance to purchase a residential parking sticker for neighborhoods that have timed street parking. Such stickers are currently offered to car and truck owners.

The PPA would begin accepting sticker applications in early November and issue the permits in December.

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