It is long overdue for the City of New Britain to raise all of its parking fines to be more in line with area towns and even the State of Connecticut.
The chart below demonstrates that the fines in New Britain are ridiculously low and in most cases are a small fraction of the fines established by the legislature and other are towns for similar violations. In fact, our fines are so low, that they most likely are costing the city money to collect the fines because a $10.00 fine most certainly doesn’t cover the costs involved: Printing of tickets, labor of an officer to write the violation, clerical costs to process the ticket, collect the fine and account for the money collected.
I would guess that a thorough audit of the entire process would reveal that each $10 ticket costs the city at least twice that in labor and other costs. Additionally, since the real purpose behind parking violations is to deter the illegal parking, raising the fines together with tough collection techniques should have a definite deterrent effect on illegal parking.
Hopefully the Mayor and the council will review this information and work to bring our fines more in line with the rest of Connecticut.
/ NEW BRITAIN W. Htfd. HARTFORD NEW HAVEN STATE OF CT
Overtime Parking $10.00* $46.00 $15.00 $20.00
Improper Parking – Hazard 20.00* 46.00 33.00 30.00 $75.00
Opposite Direction of Traffic 10.00* 46.00 33.00 30.00 75.00
Too Near Stop Sign 20.00* 46.00 15.00 30.00 75.00
More than 12" from curb 10.00* 46.00 15.00 30.00 75.00
Other 20.00* 46.00
Meter 10.00* 18.00 15.00 20.00
Parking on Lawn 20.00* 46.00
Other 10.00*
Snow Emergency 100.00 99.00 100.00
Double Parking 20.00* 46.00 33.00 30.00 75.00
Private Property Trespassing 30.00 46.00 33.00 30.00
Obstructing Driveway 20.00* 46.00 33.00 30.00 75.00
Handicapped 99.00* 107.00 99.00 150.00 150.00/250.00
Bus Stop 20.00* 46.00 33.00 30.00
Blocking Crosswalk 20.00* 46.00 33.00 30.00 75.00
*Fine Triples 7 days after issue date
Fire Lane 20.00* 107.00 33.00 50.00 75.00
Too Near Hydrant 20.00* 46.00 33.00 50.00 75.00
Restricted Area 20.00* 46.00 30.00
Booting 35.00
Loading Zone 20.00* 46.00 30.00
Too Near Corner/Intersection 20.00* 46.00 15.00 30.00 75.00
Once again the city wants another way to use crime to generate revenue. Maybe if the fines were higher then there may be less violators hence less revenue. If it costs to much to pay someone to collect the fines then maybe we should down size the staff to save money. Or maybe do away with paid parking altogether, then we wouldn't have to worry about fines.
ReplyDeleteSounds like something these Democrats on the council would do:
ReplyDeleteWrite a $10 ticket that costs the city $20 to collect, and somehow in their simple minds, they would think that they are making money on that one.
I wouldn't put all the blame on Democrats. But this is another example of government's poor planning and waste that is going to cost tax payers more money.
ReplyDeleteSince the purpose of the penalty is to deter the behavior, then it seems that it would be a good thing if raising the fines prevents the illegal parking.
ReplyDeleteFinancial penalties only deter the poor. While the rich just pay for the ileagal parking. Why not boot thier vehicle to make it also an inconvience, then tow it away. Also make them pay a penalty bases on thier income levels. A 1% fine for a $20,000 year income would be a $200.00 fine while a $300,000 year income would have a $3,000.00 fine.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought.
If the higher fined violations, such as handicapped parking, were enforced more, it would possibly more than make up for the low $10 fines. It's unbelievable how many handicapped spaces are taken by drivers without handicapped tags or license plates.
ReplyDeleteNobody knows how to seize people's cars better than the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Maybe the city should send someone down there to study the PPA's program and bring it back here to New Britain.
ReplyDeleteHow about raising the $10 fines to $46, just like West Hartford, and then change the handicapped parking fine to $150.00 for the first offense and $250.00 for each subsequent offense, just like the state, or is this making too much sense for New Britain?
ReplyDeleteLike everything else in this city, this like everything else will just fall on deaf ears.
ReplyDeleteI have only heard of one case where a man was fined $99 for illegally parking in a handicapped parking space in the Wal*Mart parking lot when it was located on Slater Road.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how many cars are illegally parked in the parking lots of Stop & Shop, Wal*Mart, and other large stores, and the authorities do nothing about it.
I have thought of calling the police on my cell phone to report what I see...but, by the time the police would arrive, these violators are already gone.
Can the stores be authorized to ticket the violators?