Sacramento Sees Big Rise In Parking Revenue After Rate Hikes
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The City of Sacramento is making a pretty penny off parking tickets.
A report released to CBS13 from the city shows a $2.6 million increase in parking revenue this year.
The city raised meter rates and extended parking enforcement hours last year around part of Downtown to help pay for its $255 million debt for the Golden 1 Center.
CBS13 has reported parking enforcement has been ticketing drivers who park at broken meters, even ticketing them when there's a glitch in the city's mobile parking app.
"I'll park somewhere free," said Jacob McQuirk.
Parking downtown is a risk McQuirk no longer wants to take.
"I've gotten a few tickets each year," McQuirk added.
One time, at a meter McQuirk says he didn't see because it was covered by a bush.
"They didn't hear the case, and they just trimmed the vegetation from the sign, not the meter," said McQuirk.
McQuirk isn't the only one sharing his tale of parking tickets.
"I just paid approximately $1,200 in parking tickets," said Luis Guerrero.
That's over the past few years. Guerrero now documents his trips Downtown.
"I have heard stories of people getting tickets while parked at a broken meter," Guerrero said.
Drivers are getting tickets for parking at broken meters and even when there's a glitch in the Parkmobile app. That's where drivers can pay remotely using their cellphone.
According to a report just released to CBS13 from the city, it raked in about $7.9 million this year. That's an extra $2.6 million from 2016.
A spokeswoman responded saying "increases in meter revenue are due to an expansion of meter operating hours in specific areas, and tiered-based rate options for motorists who need more time to park."
The Sacramento Business Journal says this year alone, close to 4,000 parking meter tickets have been issued in error and dismissed in Sacramento.
As the parking dilemma Downtown continues, citizens are asking the city:
"How much revenue is enough revenue?"
CBS13 asked the city how much money its returned to drivers this year in invalid tickets; a spokeswoman says the city is still working to provide that number.