ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Hours after Allentown Parking Authority board slashed the agency’s active patrol hours Wednesday, council members met to discuss a package of further changes to the city’s parking rules.
Enforcers in Allentown now will actively patrol for parking violations from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. six days a week, with no patrols on Sunday. Members of the parking authority board approved that internal policy change during their meeting Wednesday afternoon at the Americus Hotel.
- Allentown City Council members once again discussed potential changes to the city's parking ordinances but took no vote Wednesday
- Several members on Wednesday signaled their opposition to letting residents park in the city's alleys
- The council could vote on several parking-related proposals May 3
Several blocks away and several hours later, Allentown City Council continued its debate over letting residents park in some alleys and several other ordinance changes.
Council took no votes Wednesday, but could vote on the proposals at its next meeting May 3.
That meeting could feature several votes, after members approved Council President Daryl Hendricks’ motion to consider changes related to alley-parking separately from the other proposals.
'I will not be responsible'
Hendricks signaled he plans to vote against allowing parking in alleys less than 20 feet wide — as proposed — because it could cause significant issues for first responders during emergencies.
Council member Candida Affa echoed Hendricks’ sentiments, before questioning Fire Chief Efrain Agosto about a recent fire where he said crews were able to quickly reach a home because no one was parking in the alley.
Affa said she was “willing to give up” her seat on council before voting for an ordinance that allows parking in alleys less than 20 feet wide, as the 2018 International Fire Code requires for newly constructed buildings.
Agosto said that requirement was set to ensure firefighters have room to operate around their trucks.
“I will not in any way, shape or form be responsible for a law that will allow this to happen for the convenience of a few, for some of our citizens that want the convenience of parking in the alley,” Affa said.
Councilman Santo Napoli suggested council scrap its ideas of writing a “blanket ordinance” to address residents’ concerns and instead consider allowing parking on an alley-by-alley basis.
“The authority should be able to exercise enough discretion that you don't need to create a legislative fix."Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk
Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach proposed tabling any potential alley-related changes to the city’s ordinances until a study can be completed.
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk cautioned his administration would need additional resources to determine which of the city’s alleys would be able to accommodate parking.
‘Not totally’ satisfied
Affa suggested council postpone any final vote on proposed parking-ordinance changes until it sees the results of an analysis of the Allentown Parking Authority.
Council recently approved $20,000 to hire an independent consultant to study the parking authority’s structure and what it would cost the city to take over the agency.
City officials are due to open bids May 22, and Tuerk said he hopes the study will begin by July.
After two parking-related meetings Wednesday, Tuerk said he was “not totally” satisfied with the changes that were made and called on the Allentown Parking Authority to live up to its mission statement of “providing efficient and equitable parking services to the public.”
Tuerk said he will “absolutely consider” ordering the city to take over the parking authority if the study shows "it makes sense for us to do so” and is affordable.
The mayor said council “shouldn’t have to step in here.”
“The authority should be able to exercise enough discretion that you don't need to create a legislative fix,” Tuerk said, urging the agency to “get more creative” with its response to residents’ complaints.
Earlier Wednesday, the Allentown Parking Authority’s board cut the agency’s active patrol hours more than 46%.
Enforcers used to work around the clock, seven days a week, but will now only perform active patrol duties from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday each week. There will be no patrols on Sundays or “major” holidays, Zeller told the council Wednesday.
That internal policy change means enforcers now will patrol 90 hours per week, rather than 168.
The parking authority still will maintain a 24/7 dispatch presence, Zeller said.
Enforcers will issue citations for “critical safety violations” they see while responding to dispatch calls, including parking in front of fire hydrants, blocking streets, double-parking and parking near corners or no-parking signs.
The parking authority also will patrol the area around events, but active enforcement will end shortly after those events finish, Zeller said.
The patrol-hours change does not apply to garages or lots operated by the Allentown Parking Authority.
Zeller said the new hours will be implemented “as soon as practical.”
