After 20 Years the PPA is Eliminating Free Saturday Parking During December

It looks like the PPA is embracing the role of Scrooge this holiday season by saying bah humbug to a 20 year Philly tradition.  That’s right starting this December the PPA will no longer allow free parking on Saturdays.

The move was originally implemented to encourage holiday shoppers to support local businesses.  In a time when online shopping has boomed, many citizens feel that this will hurt local businesses even more.  In the past the PPA has had free Wednesday evening parking as well as first Friday parking.  Now it looks like the PPA has done away with all free parking programs.  The announcement came via a statement released on their website. See their official statement below:

“After analyzing parking trends, researching best practices, and talking to businesses, the City’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability (OTIS) determined that the policy of relaxed enforcement is counter-productive. The best practice for on-street parking management says that there should be one or two open spots on every block. This allows residents to find a spot and patronize businesses without excessive circling the block. Similar programs, such as free parking on Wednesdays or First-Fridays were discontinued in the past without negative impacts. Free parking on Saturdays in December encouraged all-day on-street parking while discouraging the turnover that is needed for customers to find a spot and start shopping. The City will continue to work with the PPA and our businesses to ensure the best accessibility to our incredible shopping districts.”