All You Need to Know About Philadelphia Parking

philadelphia parking

From the iconic steps of the Museum of Art, Sylvester Stallone runs up in “Rocky” to historically significant buildings like the Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed; there are lots to explore in Philadelphia. However, if you didn’t know already, Pennsylvania’s capital city is not really known for having the best parking infrastructure. Traffic is comparatively ok with other major cities like NYC and LA, but finding affordable parking in Philadelphia remains to be an Achilles heel. Unless you have made reservations for Philadelphia parking garages in advance, chances are pretty high that you would end up without a safe spot for Philadelphia parking. Street parking in Philadelphia is also a gamble, and if you are not careful, especially when it comes to Philadelphia parking in Downtown, it’s pretty easy to stack up on Philadelphia parking tickets. With so much to look forward to, how can you find a Philadelphia parking garage without going through unnecessary hassles? Continue reading, and you will soon get to read some exciting parking hacks that ensure you have the best deals for parking in Philadelphia.

Street Parking in Philadelphia  

People in Philly love driving around in cars and know where all the good spots are at. If you are a visitor, always make sure you go for online booking of Philadelphia parking garages. There are hundreds of metered parking spaces in the city and even more offsite parking garages. However, the demand for all these spots is more than what is available, making it really difficult to find on-street Philadelphia parking. It would be best to keep an eye out for where you park as the Philadelphia Parking Authority that enforces and monitors street parking in Philadelphia is pretty vigilant in their job. Even the most minor parking violations can result in expensive Philadelphia parking tickets.  

Parking Garages in Philadelphia  

If it’s guaranteed parking that you seek in Philadelphia, you need to consider parking at the many garages that are spread out in and around the area. When it comes to Philadelphia parking garages, there are both city parking garages and privately-owned parking garages. Private lots offer some of the best deals when we compare both. Most of the privately-owned Philadelphia parking garages offer pre-booking services that let you reserve a spot in advance through websites and parking apps. The majority of Philadelphia parking garages offer pre-booking with premium services like contactless parking, covid-19 compliances, around-the-clock lot security, 24-hour accessibility, and camera surveillance. What’s even better is that you will never get ticketed for parking in garages and can save all the money you would otherwise spend on settling parking tickets. 

Parking Hacks to Find Affordable Deals  

There are a few parking hacks when it comes to Philadelphia parking that will let you park for some of the best rates possible. Having an idea about some of these tips and tricks let you access Philadelphia parking garages for comparatively low rates, and that too at secure spots. Here are some essential packing hacks to keep tabs on to make the most of street parking in Philadelphia. 

Residential Parking Zones: If you are a Philly resident, who lives in a neighborhood that is part of the residential neighborhood parking permit zone, it’s high time you considered applying for a Residential Parking Permit. Having access to a Residential Parking permit lets you get Philadelphia parking at restricted rates for more than the maximum duration of 2-hours. Drivers without Residential Parking permit are only allowed to park for a maximum of 2-hours in residential zones.   

Loading Zones: Loading zones can be your best friend or worst enemy for Philadelphia parking. On one side, you get free parking here for up to 20 minutes at times. However, on the other side, if you mess up the time restriction, you’ll end up with a Philadelphia parking ticket. It is also pretty challenging to understand the difference between passenger loading zone and commercial loading zone. If it’s a commercial parking zone, you might end up with a ticket for parking without a permit in a commercial zone.   

Do Not Stack Up on Parking Tickets: It is never a great idea to carry around your parking tickets for longer durations as you will only end up spending more money than what you need to pay. It’s always best to settle Philadelphia parking tickets sooner rather than later. If you intend to contest a Philadelphia parking ticket, you don’t need to visit the courthouse. The city of Philadelphia allows you to contest parking tickets online.   

Make Use of Moving Day Permits: If you are moving to Philly or have a friend move over to the city, you can save a lot on parking by applying for a Moving Day Permit. As long as you file a moving day request three days in advance, you can reserve a space for Philadelphia parking right next to your home. 

Always Check Parking Signages   

When you go for Philadelphia parking, you must keep an eye out for parking signboards. There are plenty of parking restrictions that could put a severe dent in your wallet. Some of the main traffic signboards you are bound to come across the most while going for Philadelphia parking are as follows:   

No Stopping: You are not allowed to stop or park immediately in the vicinity of a No Stopping signboard. Failure to do so will result in a parking ticket of $51 to $76.   

No Standing: You need to keep moving at these earmarked zones. Even if you stop and idle at a No Standing zone, you will be ticketed. Fines for parking in a No Standing zone are also $51 to $76.   

No Standing and No Parking: These are pretty much a combination of No Parking zone with no standing rules also applicable. You are not allowed to sit in your car and idle across this place. Failure to comply with this rule will result in expensive parking citations ranging from $51 to $76.  

What to Do If Your Car Gets Towed Away  

Returning to your Philadelphia parking and not finding your car there can be a terrifying experience. However, this can happen as the Philadelphia parking authority is one of the most active parking authorities in the country. If you are towed or booted, call 1-888-591-3636 and confirm the status of your car first. Once that’s taken care of, you would ideally want to retrieve your car at the soonest by settling all outstanding Philadelphia parking tickets. You can retrieve your car from the impound lot afterward.   

These are some of the fundamentals of parking in Philadelphia. Having an idea about how parking works in a city like Philly will help you save lots of time, money, and energy you would otherwise spend on trying to find affordable Philadelphia parking.  

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