Investigates

City makes hundreds of thousands in new South Side parking fees

PITTSBURGH — Weekend parking enforcement in the South Side is bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars to Pittsburgh.

11 Investigates learned the city has collected $264,000 in new revenue since meter enforcement was extended from 6 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays in March 2017.

That money is earmarked for public safety and infrastructure improvements in the South Side, plans City Councilman Bruce Kraus said are in the works.

"It's exceeding where my expectations were, and that's really encouraging," Kraus said.

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He's a big proponent of the change, especially since the additional money is being kept in the South Side to pay for projects like litter cleanup and public safety.

"The idea is to reduce vehicles, reduce congestion, reduce the impact on businesses and residents alike and encourage people to use ride share," Kraus said.

"I would like to know where the money is going and what they're doing with it. I would like to know they're putting it in the right place and the right thing down here," said Mike Llewellyn, a local business owner.

The city has also offered free parking on First Avenue and a shuttle for visitors and people working on the South Side on Friday and Saturday nights. Kraus admits that option hasn't been used as frequently as he would like.