Yikes! Parking Tickets Could Go Up Huge in Portsmouth

The battle over a parking ticket fine increase is heating up as the weather becomes warmer in Portsmouth according to unionleader.com.  Currently, the fine for an expired meter in Portsmouth is $15 and they only issue one ticket per vehicle.  That means if you go over your expired time, you are only on the hook for $15, you can’t get multiple tickets adding up.  The city has a Stay & Pay program where you can park all day in certain zones for $46 or just get a $15 ticket if you choose not to.  I must admit, there is little incentive to pay the $46 when the penalty is just a $15 ticket.

Parking has Been Down Due to the Pandemic

“Simply put, in order to encourage the desired behavior, the fine for accessing the using city-owned parking inventory without paying for it should be great than the maximum cost associated with using the space legally,” argues Benjamin Fletcher, director of parking, according to reporting by union leader.com.  He does have a point.

Portsmouth, City of the Open Door

“I don’t know if this is what we should be doing as the ‘City of the Open Door,’ said Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine.   The council was split on whether to move forward with the increase with good arguments both for and against.  The proposed ticket fine would be increased from a $15 ticket to a $35 ticket and would then jump to $55 if the ticket was not paid within 30 days according to reporting by unionleader.com.  A hearing before the public is scheduled for May 3 if you are interested in having your voice heard on the matter.