The Monster, The Allentown Parking Authority, is changing it's diet. I held a news conference* in the fall of 2005 questioning why parking meters still existed at 10th and Chew Streets. Perhaps appropriate in the 1950's , they are now five blocks and fifty years beyond serving any need, besides punishing center city residents. The Authority has grown into a large bureaucracy with a huge appetite for quarters and fines. I'd like to see it go on a diet and reduce the meter district to reflect current commerce on Hamilton Street, about six meters should do it. Instead the Authority is only modifying it's diet.
B82METER REMOVAL.DOC
Amending article 507 (Traffic control Maps) of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Allentown by removing all parking meters along the north and south sides of Chew Street beginning on the west side of 8th Street continuing west on Chew Street to the east side of 10th Street and establishing a two (2) hour time zone along the north and south sides of Chew Street beginning on the west side of 8th Street continuing west on Chew Street to the east side of 10th Street
Although the meters on Chew Street between 8th and 10th will now be removed, a two hour parking zone will be enforced. The monster, although changing it's diet, will be eating no less. It will continue to prey on the residents who can least afford it, and are already coping with the myriad of center city problems. Welcome to Allentown.
* The press conference was held on the corner of 10th and Chew Streets. It was covered by WFMZ, Daryl Nerl, on behalf of The Morning Call, did not attend.
This report on parking reminds me of my ex-wife's comment that men are like parking spaces. The good ones are always taken and the ones left are handicapped or to small.
ReplyDeleteDaryl Nerl, on behalf of The Morning Call, did not attend.
ReplyDeletethink daryl now works freelance
in bethlehem. not sure he would be asked by call to cover. could be wrong.
anon 6:46, hope your ex's new man is big enough for her. anon 7:08, although your comment responds to something i wrote, at this time, i want to steer any comments towards Parking Authority issues in allentown. i will respond to your comment tomorrow
ReplyDeleteO the Allentown Parking Authority...
ReplyDeleteIn late September and early October, I stupidly mailed away the required information to get my new registration from Penn Dot. In the ensuing weeks, my inspection ran out and without my new registration I could not get my car inspected. (I said stupidly earlier because if you do it online you can get a new emergency registration, which I did not know about)
Without new inspection, the APA ticketed my car four times.
Being a student, without a job, I paid the tickets off as I could. Two weeks ago, I got a warning letter in the mail, so I called the APA to make sure I paid off the most outstanding tickets and according to them, I did.
I asked if my car was going to be booted or towed and they told me "absolutely not". I wasn't close to that.
The following week, they booted my car.
I had to pay an obscene amount of money to resolve the situation and naturally, that money was a grant refund for books next semester.
When I explained this story to the woman at the APA on 10th and Hamilton she said "O I'm sorry. Guess whoever you talked to lied."
Grand.
We are still waiting for them to remove 2 hour parking signs on the opposite side of Allen ST in front of our home because the restaurant they were put there for has been closed for a long time.
Until then, we have been advised to park on St George St to avoid tickets on Street Cleaning Days.
I can't stand it.