PITTSBURGH \u2014 11 Investigates is getting action after a series of reports about questionable parking tickets in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n
Chief Investigator Rick Earle has exposed a number of issues and tonight he took those concerns to the mayor and a city councilman. <\/p>\n
They have started asking a lot of questions and are already demanding some changes. <\/p>\n
Mayor Corey O\u2019Connor is calling for a more common-sense approach and one councilman now wants the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure involved. <\/p>\n
\u201cTechnology is great to have, but sometimes it doesn\u2019t react in common-sense form,\u201d O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Connor is reacting to a series of 11 Investigates reports about the parking authority\u2019s new camera system that has been monitoring city streets for more than a year. <\/p>\n
Earlier this week, 11 Investigates told you about a driver who got three $55 tickets<\/a> in the mail after stopping here on First Avenue to drop off his girlfriend at work. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one thing if somebody is abusing the system. It\u2019s another thing if you\u2019re there for two minutes and you run into grab something…like again we don\u2019t want to hurt people. Especially when you are running into a local small business,\u201d O\u2019Connor said. <\/p>\n 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 \u201cNo parking,\u201d it doesn\u2019t say \u201cNo stopping.\u201d<\/p>\n Councilman Bobby Wilson is on the parking authority board. <\/p>\n Earle: It says, \u201cNo parking.\u201d It doesn\u2019t say, \u201cNo stopping,\u201d like other city signs. Should it say that? <\/p>\n Wilson: My personal take, yeah, it seems like it should say that. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention.<\/p>\n Wilson is also questioning why the authority installed cameras here in the first place. <\/p>\n Wilson: I think there should be extreme, like really good enforcement, especially in the most dangerous areas. <\/p>\n Earle: This doesn\u2019t appear to be that. <\/p>\n Wilson: I haven\u2019t seen a car come past since we\u2019ve been talking. <\/p>\n Earle: So does it make you wonder why they put cameras here? <\/p>\n Wilson: It does, yeah, I\u2019m not sure.<\/p>\n In light of this and other drivers who claim they\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n Wilson: We need to create revenue, but we need to balance that. <\/p>\n Earle: It\u2019s a fine line. <\/p>\n Wilson: Also being a welcoming city for people that live and work here.<\/p>\n Councilman Wilson also expressed frustration that drivers are only given 90 seconds. <\/p>\n Meantime Mayor O\u2019Connor says he is looking into all of these concerns. <\/p>\n Wilson sent a letter to DOMI and the parking authority on Friday about meeting as soon as possible to address some of the issues. <\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n