Update, May 1:
Despite the city’s best efforts, workers were not in fact able to attend to everyone in the lines described below.
Approximately 500 people were left stranded yesterday, said city spokesperson Mike Dunn — including a handful who were apparently still there at 3 a.m., per this 6ABC report. However, all those people were given vouchers, or “tickets,” that allowed them to return at any point before the end of the week to have their cases processed.
It’s wasn’t an extension of the amnesty, Dunn insisted, saying, “We just ran out of time last night.”
Judging from the lines stretching down the block in Chinatown Monday morning, Philly is full of procrastinators.
Monday was the last day of the PPA’s Parking Amnesty Program — and Philadelphians scrambled to take advantage.
By 8 a.m. (a half hour before the PPA office even opens), a line had already formed outside, snaking from PPA headquarters at 917 Filbert St. all the way down to Ninth and Arch, and then around the corner, up Arch toward 10th Street.
Yup, that’s at least two blocks full of people, all cramming to get their unpaid parking tickets relieved at the last minute.
Philly announced the Parking Amnesty Program back in February. The two-months-long program would forgive unpaid parking tickets dated 2013 or earlier, on the condition that you took care of any unpaid tickets issued between January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2017. The PPA office on Ninth and Filbert is the only location accepting amnesty applications.
“While it’s unfortunate that some people waited till the very last minute, rest assured that our specialists are working hard to see everyone who comes in before the end of the program on April 30,” said city spokesperson Mike Dunn. “Though the Parking Amnesty office closes at 6 p.m. today, we will work well past that time to see everyone.”
The program officially started on March 1, with the last day set for April 30. The city will not extend the program, per Dunn.
To pay back those recent parking tickets, the PPA also offers a payment plan option. If you show up at the PPA office and front 10 percent of the total amount due, you can have 24 months to pay back the rest. Once you do, all your pre-2013 parking tickets will be totally forgiven.
Be warned: if you miss one single payment, you’re no longer eligible for amnesty — that means they can boot your car.
The program also offers 70 percent discounts on towing and storage fees from 2014 or earlier.
So, is this program a huge hit? Or did every interested Philadelphian totally forget about it until the absolute last day? Regardless, the PPA has its hands full.
