So much of parking news is about new policies, new meters, new applications and the forward motion of the industry. So, I was intrigued by a headline I just read on parknews.biz:

Carmichaels to remove parking meters

Who takes out their parking meters? Who puts them in, decides they are not working, and has them removed? Charmichaels, Pennsylvania, according to The Observer-Reporter, is getting rid of its parking meters. It seems that since their installation, the meters have been ignored, and vandalized, and are now considered a safety hazard.

The borough (Charmichaels) has not issued tickets for meter violations for several years, police Chief Mike Gyurke said. The last time the borough collected money from the meters it took in only about $15. Most people in the community know the borough doesn’t enforce for meter violations, and so they don’t bother putting money in the meters when they park, councilwoman Marianne Gideon said.

So the city installs parking meters, doesn’t enforce them and people get completely used to not paying for parking, even though the meters are right there. Soon, even law enforcement and city officials give up on the meters. Then, the meters become so obsolete and unimportant that they are actually stolen from the sidewalk – cut off right at the base.

I’m glad Charmichaels has decided to remove it’s meters – I can only wonder why they installed them in the first place.

Read the article here.