Some drivers in Harrisburg have found a loophole to beat higher parking rates in the city, but that loophole involves stealing parking spaces from state employees.
In Downtown it’s $3 an hour to park at the Standard Parking meters, and if you forget to feed them, you can expect a $30 ticket.
“You’re giving people less of a reason to come down here because they have to pay more to park here,” says visitor Kyle McCorkel.
But just blocks away, some drivers are taking advantage of Capitol Complex spaces, which are reserved for state employees. You can get a $5 ticket for parking illegally there and the fine hasn’t gone up since 1973.
The PA Department of General Services says there are repeat offenders who park there, shutting out state employees and affecting productivity.
“We don’t want our parking to be infringed upon by individuals who find it more convenient and financially beneficial to park here,” says DGS spokesman Troy Thompson.
The DGS wants to raise their fine for parking illegally to $30 to match the city. To make the change, they need legislative action, so Representative John Payne (R-Dauphin) is looking for co-sponsors for a bill.
“If we’re not ticketing on a routine basis, then people feel like, ‘Oh, they’re not paying attention,’ so we really stepped up our efforts,” says Thompson.
