ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – St. Petersburg City Council members voted to increase parking penalties across the board after finding drivers intentionally risked fines rather than paying standard rates.
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Parking fines nearly double
What we know:
City council leaders approved raising the fine for overstaying paid parking time from $17.50 to $32.50. Council member Richie Floyd said he saw some drivers deliberately chose to take a fine to save money rather than pay for long parking periods.
The council also raised penalties by $15 for parking near fire hydrants and in no-parking zones. Officials updated residential parking permits as part of the overall changes.
Visitors weigh parking costs
What they’re saying:
Visitors from around the Tampa Bay region said paying for parking in downtown St. Petersburg remains easy and fairly priced.
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“I think it’s about five dollars for two hours though so you kind of have a time limit which stinks you’re kind of in a rush to do what you want to do and everything’s sort of spread out but I mean it’s pretty reasonable I think,” said Nate Jozefik, a visitor from Tampa.
“Well, downtown St. Pete, you know, I think it’s a good price,” said Garth Case, a visitor from Bradenton. “I mean, it’s not like I walk out of here thinking I’m in New York City or anything. I mean it’s no pay more than $20 max, maybe $10 or $12 to park for the night. We parked here for one hour for $2.75, not bad.”
Funding targeted for safety
Why you should care:
Money collected from the higher parking fines will support the city’s Safe Streets initiative. City Council members said the revenue will help make roadways and transportation safer for everyone throughout St. Petersburg.
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