Cost Of Parking In Pittsburgh Could Go Up Again

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Could the cost of parking at a Pittsburgh parking meter go up even higher?

If the Parking Authority has its way, the answer is yes. If City Council has its way, the answer is no.

If you park at a meter, you may still be getting use to the fact that the cost of parking went up on June 1.

Now you have to carry lots of quarters if you want to park in certain areas.

Maybe you want to use a credit card, but for that convenience the Parking Authority said it will cost you more.

"Sounds like Catch 22. Raise the rates, now we need new meters to take those new rates so raise the rates again," Kevin Dumas said.

Could that be it in a nutshell?

The Pittsburgh Parking Authority has to raise the hourly rates at some meters on the South Side, Oakland, and parts of downtown to help raise revenue to pay for new meters that will take credit cards and create new multi-space meters.

"I share residents' frustrations that the meters weren't introduced before the rates went up. That was not the intention of the plan. The intention was that the multi-space meters would be available before the rates went up," City Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak said.

Several City Council members said they put forth an idea late last year that was rejected. It would have resolved some of the city's parking woes and would have addressed the city's under-budgeted pension account too.

Since the plan was never approved, the whole situation has become political.

"This thing should have begun in January and they sat on their hands. They used it for political purposes to attack members of Council during a primary," City Councilman Doug Shields said.

The proposal would raise hourly rates to $2 at a meter on the South Side, Oakland, downtown and Shadyside. There was little support in City Council Tuesday.

City Council members said they haven't met with the Mayor's Office to talk about where they and the Parking Authority go from here.

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