Should retail, restaurant workers pay $300 a year for local permit parking?
This week, the main parking issue is related to the papal visit. But in South Philly in general, the parking restrictions and spaces can be a tight find on any given day.
For restaurant and retail workers in South Philly without residential parking permits in the area, it may be difficult to find spaces–and sometimes they may have to move their cars every two hours for lack of permits. Should these employees have the opportunity to pay for local permit parking?
Frank Borda of Francoluigi’s and High Note has proposed that these sort of permits be an option for those who drive their cars to work in an area where the parking is restricted to 2 hours for non-permit holders.
More from the Inquirer:
City Councilman Mark Squilla, who represents the Passyunk Square/East Passyunk Crossing district where Borda’s parkingagita persists, said a suggestion by the restaurateur is under review by the Parking Authority and “may be able to get some traction.”
Borda has proposed letting employees of restaurants in residential areas purchase $300 yearly permits that allow them unlimited parking time during business hours.
“He doesn’t only complain, he tries to come up with solutions,” Squilla said. “I have to give him credit for that.”
What do you think of this idea?
Meh… I appreciate what they’re trying to do, but the logistics at first thought seem way too difficult for the PPA. Is each permit sticker going to come with the associated business hours printed on it? How else would the PPA agent know whether or not the car is parked within rights?
I’m sorry. Workers in every walk of life commute, drive hours to office space and pay hefty public transit fees. Can’t park your car, take a cab, public transit or ride a bike. If the area you work in makes your life too difficult, look for another job.
How the heck would they be able to manage this or track who works where and hours, etc? This is simply stupid
I like Franco, I own and live on 12th st and becuse my car is now registered out of state I can no longer get a permit. I get a 30 day, then have to wait 90 days to get another. I pay my property taxes like everyone elst. IF my car was registered to a business out of state I CAN get a permit. What is the difference? AS far as workers, sorry no, Then would would be even more of a parking issue in our area.
Why doesn’t the business association “Lease” spaces for this at St. Agnes garage or where the valet park at neuman/goretti and charge a fee to the shop or restruant workers.
The difference between having a car registered by a business out of state and your car registered out of state as an individual is based on the premise of reason. A business registered out of state is because it would be a company car and the company may not be based in the city. You on the other hand, cannot register your car because your registration is tied to your permanent residence.
By lying about your place of residence, for what I assume to be because you want lower vehicle insurance rate, is in violation of your insurance policy. If you get in an accident and it’s found out that you do not reside at your registered address, your policy will be terminated due to this violation. In addition, you are violating that statements you make when you register a vehicle, both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The city has no reason to pander to your efforts to violate insurance and state regulations.
You are making too many assumptions in your reply. I like may other people own homes out of state and are permitted by the state( not New Jersey as you assume) to register cars and insure them even if you are not a perimate resident. My insurance company only requires you own propety to register a car. MY perminate reidence is Philadelphia, I pay my taxes in Philadelphia, I vote in Philadelphia and untill I retired I worked in Philadelphia. So in closing, Do some research befor you make some statements. Registering a car where you own a property and buying insurance on it is not what you allude to above.
Frank, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re mistaken. I agree that Jake probably has made a few assumptions in his reply, but you may want to check the fine print on your car insurance policy as well as the state registration.
Car insurance premiums are, in large, based off where the car “lives.” I assume you have the car registered out of state because the insurance is cheaper. I also assume the car is parked in Philadelphia for the majority of the time (per your replies). If your insurance company knew that you had your car in Philly for as much as you do, you’d have a higher rate. Morals aside, you’re effectively cheating the system.
He’s also cheating the parking system – he’s clearly not that concerned about being honest with the system..
Also, yeah, you’re allowed to register your car at any property you own, but I but you didn’t tell your insurance company where your car actually resides, thus congrats! You’re committing insurance fraud.
One other note. I have owned my residence since 2001 and remembered when we had no permit parking like jessup st and the 1600 block of 11th street has now. Again in reply to your statment above, There are others on my block that park on 12th street all the time with , Florida, New jersey, Deleware and New York registration. All have temp permits like i LEGALLY get. So thanks for attacking me via this forum. I do not think web site was intended for replys such as yours to be a personal attacks.
Temporary parking permits are intended for guests and visitors, not your use to use as a resident to use an out-of-state registered vehicle for parking. You told me to ‘do my homework,’ here you go:
As stated in the Philadelphia code §12-2708, temporary parking permits are for the “bona fide guest of the applicant or by a person doing business with the applicant.” You show me the part of the Philadelphia code that justifies your actions, because as clearly stated in §12-2708, the temporary permits that you are using are by not intended for residents with out-of-state vehicles to use to skirt the parking permit regulations.
To the guy who just tried to use this comment thread to sell knockoff parking permits, no. You can’t use the comments on this website to try to sell bootleg permits.
Yeah, pay for a sponsored post like everyone else!! 😉
Just restaurant and retail workers? Shouldn’t teachers who work in schools without parking lots be able to get these parking permits too?
You’d have to open this up to all working people. So again, disaster.
Here’s a scenario that’s already got Mark Squilla stumped. I’ve already reached out to him and the PPA, but everyone says that nothing can be done
I own an investment property in Bella Vista, which also means I do not live there. A few years ago, the street went to permit parking. I take great pride in my properties and regularly sweep and clean up the four blocks surrounding them. I plant flowers and shrubs, service the laundry facility in the common basement and also have to turn-over apartments in between tenants. And oh, let’s not forget shoveling a half a city block within three hours of a snowstorm. Since I’ve owned the properties for 27 years and the permit parking has only been effect for a few years, i forgot to move my car in two hours and got a ticket. I figured I’d contest the parking ticket online by uploading my deed. No dice. The PPA says I need to live there to buy a parking permit.
I have seen my taxes quadruple thanks to the nasty AVI, and all multi-family owners now have to pay a $300 sanitation tax per address per year. We also had to update our fire alarm system to digital to the tune of $6,000 to comply with Philadelphia Fire codes and I can’t buy a permit so that I can park to maintain and clean my properties? It’s bullshit, it’s wrong and it’s unfair. Squilla told me there was nothing his office can do. I propose a bill to be introduced by City Council to let legal property owners purchase parking permits.
Yo Anna Maria Vona! Shouldn’t you be complaining about “outsiders coming into our community”?
https://passyunkpost.com/2014/12/19/community-responds-to-proposed-velodrome-at-fdr-park/
I don’t think anyone is crying you a river. AVI was a necessary evil because property assessments were woefully out of date (I bought a house in East Passyunk before AVI, so I feel that pain, but I still understand why it happened). Multi-family homes are more taxing on the sewers so yeah, extra fees. And sorry you had to bring your rental properties up to fire safety code. That’s a real bummer.
The fact remains that you don’t live there, so no, you don’t get to have a residential parking permit. You have to abide by the parking laws just like everyone else doing business in the area.
^ So good.
No, you shouldn’t be able to purchase a parking permit for a rental property. If taxes are high you need to pass that off to your renters. If you’re unable to do that, then you currently do not have a good investment. Parking is for residents of that area not cleaning crews.
Sounds like you’re doing pretty well with so many long-held investment properties.
You can probably afford to buy a parking spot in a private lot.
Heck, you can probably afford to buy an entire garage.
How is it correct that life time south philly native,like myself must abide by permit parking,which I ENJOY paying to keep all of your i ntruders out with 3 cars whom seem to take 2 spaces with 1 car only to save space for girl,of course Not MARRIED.OLA S.P. TRICK.1 being a police officer with n.j.tags.Personally &Hopefully permits will go up twice the AMOUNT.60 YEAR OLD HOMEOWNER.GO back to jereeeesy,!!!
Francoluigi’s and High Note are a block from the subway, a block from route 23 and directly on route 29. They are located in a highly walkable and bikeable neighborhood. There is absolutely no reason why workers should have to drive to work in Passyunk Square.
Even if they are coming from outside of the city, there is no reason why they should have greater parking privileges than anyone else. Parking is a shared, public resource, and it is limited for a reason: we live in a dense, walkable city.
We should not be incentivizing commuting by car in Passyunk Square, regardless of how much a permit would cost.
^ This.
This right here.
Preach.
Agree that it’s not that big of a deal. I live up the block and I always have a free, non-permit spot somewhere between 13th and Broad from Tasker to Federal.
Having said that, I think it’s at least worth investigating. I can’t speak for the employees who have to deal with it on a day to day basis.
No. $300 would be a good starting point for residential permits ($300 for the 1st car, $600 2nd, 1200 3rd, etc.). Businesses should be able to buy permits at the same rate with an additional fee.
The city also needs to limit permits to some percentage of parking available in that district, and give priority issuing permits to residents’ first cars, and to essential workers like teachers.
I don”t own a car or drive so forgive my question. Does the city limit the number of permits per address?
I’m sorry made mistake believe 2 & 1 vistor
Yes… Restaurant workers who have to kiss up to all you negative people, only to get crappy tip money, SHOULD be able to use their meager earnings to buy a permit that prevents them from getting ticketed, booted, towed, or whatever else the evil PPA can drum up.
Ticketed, booted, or towed while they are clearing the table of your dirty dishes, telling you specials, getting your high maintenance date another drink, laughing at your not funny jokes, etc…