PITTSBURGH — 11 Investigates is getting action after a series of reports about questionable parking tickets in Pittsburgh.
Chief Investigator Rick Earle has exposed a number of issues and tonight he took those concerns to the mayor and a city councilman.
They have started asking a lot of questions and are already demanding some changes.
Mayor Corey O’Connor is calling for a more common-sense approach and one councilman now wants the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure involved.
“Technology is great to have, but sometimes it doesn’t react in common-sense form,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor is reacting to a series of 11 Investigates reports about the parking authority’s new camera system that has been monitoring city streets for more than a year.
Earlier this week, 11 Investigates told you about a driver who got three $55 tickets in the mail after stopping here on First Avenue to drop off his girlfriend at work.
“It’s one thing if somebody is abusing the system. It’s another thing if you’re there for two minutes and you run into grab something…like again we don’t want to hurt people. Especially when you are running into a local small business,” O’Connor said.
The authority has said drivers will get ticketed after 90 seconds. The man told Channel 11 he was ticketed even though the sign only says “No parking,” it doesn’t say “No stopping.”
Councilman Bobby Wilson is on the parking authority board.
Earle: It says, “No parking.” It doesn’t say, “No stopping,” like other city signs. Should it say that?
Wilson: My personal take, yeah, it seems like it should say that. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention.
Wilson is also questioning why the authority installed cameras here in the first place.
Wilson: I think there should be extreme, like really good enforcement, especially in the most dangerous areas.
Earle: This doesn’t appear to be that.
Wilson: I haven’t seen a car come past since we’ve been talking.
Earle: So does it make you wonder why they put cameras here?
Wilson: It does, yeah, I’m not sure.
In light of this and other drivers who claim they’ve been wrongfully ticketed by the new cameras, Councilman Wilson is calling for a meeting between the parking authority and the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure to better manage the program.
Wilson: We need to create revenue, but we need to balance that.
Earle: It’s a fine line.
Wilson: Also being a welcoming city for people that live and work here.
Councilman Wilson also expressed frustration that drivers are only given 90 seconds.
Meantime Mayor O’Connor says he is looking into all of these concerns.
Wilson sent a letter to DOMI and the parking authority on Friday about meeting as soon as possible to address some of the issues.
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