Oct 26, 2009 10:42 am US/Central
City Questions Report On Jump In Parking Tickets
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
You may have seen published reports claiming the city has greatly increased the number of parking tickets issued, but there's more to it than meets the eye.
The Chicago Tribune reported that the city has seen a 26 percent spike in the number of parking meter violations, which has brought in $7 million more in parking meter revenue.
Records show about 327,650 tickets were issued in the first eight months of the year for expired meters or overstaying a pay-and-display spot. That is up from fewer than 260,000 in the same period of 2008, the Tribune reported.
But the city Department of Revenue says the city is issuing the same number of tickets now as last year at this time.
While there has been an increase in revenue, it is actually because of a parking ticket amnesty program from December 2008 to February 2009. With no tickets issued for those three months, the revenue did a one-time jump.
A deal that privatized Chicago's meters took effect in February amid a public outcry over the rates, which quadrupled in some areas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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