City Raises Parking Fines to Encourage Better Compliance with Parking Ordinance

At the Third Reading on May 17 of the amendment to the City of Portsmouth Ordinance on parking penalties, the City Council voted to accept the recommendation of the Parking & Traffic Safety Committee (PTSC) to increase fines for four citation categories: session expired, parking in no parking area, parking during an emergency snow ban and parking in a commercial loading zone.

Effective immediately the fine for citations in these categories increases to $35. If the fine is not paid in 30 days, it increases to $55.

Since the implementation of the Stay & Pay system, the Parking Division observed that the $15 fine structure was not having the intended effect of influencing behavior to comply with the City’s parking ordinances. Users seemed more willing to accept the previous $15 citation penalty than pay the higher cumulative fee from moving their cars or renewing their parking session. The new fine is intended to encourage the desired result.

Following the unanimous recommendation by the PTSC to increase parking fines, the City’s Fee Committee voted unanimously to endorse the recommendations to the City Council.