The PPA Gives Us Another Reason to Despise Them
Plus, what to do with your trash during the big strike.
A Philadelphia Parking Authority parking enforcement officer (photo via Philadelphia Parking Authority)
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The Philadelphia Parking Authority Raises Parking Rates
As if you needed another reason to despise the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA), they’ve gone and raised parking rates in Center City, effective today.
Meters in the “Center City Core” area, which stretches from Arch Street to Locust Street and from 4th Street to 20th Street, jump from $3 per hour to $4 per hour. The cost to park from Spring Garden Street to Bainbridge Street and from the Schuylkill River to the Delaware River, minus the aforementioned core, climbs from $2.50 per hour to $3.50 per hour. And those long-term meters that allow you to park for up to 12 hours go from $1.50 per hour to $2.50 per hour.
The PPA says these parking rate increases were necessary “to help improve the availability of on-street parking, promote parking turnover, and alleviate congestion in one of Philadelphia’s most heavily congested corridors.”
It’s been a decade since the PPA increased parking rates in Center City. When the agency did so 10 years ago, its executive director said that the increase was necessary to “increase parking availability… and reduce congestion.”
Strike!
No, it’s not a baseball reference. Thousands of city workers are now on strike after the city and the union representing them failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. The most obvious manifestation of this strike to the average citizen will be trash pickup. As in, there will be none. The city has set up dozens of temporary trash drop-off sites where you can bring yours on your designated trash day. If you use city pools, you’ll want to know that a bunch just closed as a result of the strike, taking the number of open city pools from 40 to around two dozen. The union also represents 911 workers, but Mayor Parker swears that 911 service will remain intact.
The last strike of this magnitude took place in 1986. It lasted 20 days. One major glitch this time around is that all of our Fourth of July festivities are just days away.
Delco Guy vs. Guy Fieri
Speaking of employment disputes, this Delco chef claims that Guy Fieri stiffed him out of a $100,000 salary (and then some), so he’s taking the TV chef to court.
John Fetterman Just Wants to Go Home
Reader Mail
Yesterday, I told you that Pennsylvania might soon require students to learn cursive in elementary school, and I was touched to receive this piece of reader mail from Christine Flowers:
By the Numbers
2030: Year that Philly’s just-announced WNBA franchise will debut.
3,200: Number of people facing criminal charges so far this year for allegedly evading SEPTA fare. It’s all part of SEPTA’s big fare evasion crackdown.
81 degrees: We’ve got some stormy weather in the forecast, but that’s the predicted temperature for Friday, the Fourth of July, with nothing but sun in the sky. And low humidity. Pretty much the perfect summer day.
Local Talent
Bryce Harper got himself a standing ovation at Monday night’s Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park. It was his first game with the team in close to a month after a wrist issue sidelined him. We shut out the Padres four-zip.
