Township Parking Tickets in the Works

Cranberry residents illegally parked on the streets when plow trucks are clearing the area may soon find themselves with a citation from the township.

At Thursday’s board of supervisors meeting, officials gave the OK to start advertising for a bill that would allow the township to dole out parking tickets to violators.

On-street parking always has been illegal in, but enforcing it requires the use of a state citation, which Jeff Schueler, director of public safety, said comes with a hefty price tag.

While the ticket’s base price ranges anywhere from $5 up to $50, the total fee is much higher once court costs are factored in.

“You’re almost up to $100 for a parking ticket,” Schueler said. “We just feel that’s a little much.”

With a township citation, residents would pay a flat fee of $25. Violators also would return their payment to the township, bypassing the need for a court hearing before Magisterial District Judge David Kovach.

If the ticket is ignored, Schuler said, it automatically would revert back to the state citation.

Although they issue plenty of warnings, Schuler said, officers typically don’t cite residents for cars parked on the road instead of driveways. But when it’s snowy outside and crews are trying to plow, the cars become an issue.

Not only is it difficult for public works drivers to avoid the cars and to plow properly, the residents’ vehicles often get packed in by snow after the trucks drive past them.

“People get frustrated and call and complain that their cars are plowed in, yet they’re parked illegally on the street in the first place,” Schueler said.

Nor were the warnings enough to get people to move their cars off the road in wintry weather.

“It was getting to the point where warnings aren’t enough,” Schueler said.

While Schuler said plans for a township ticket have been in the works for years, last year’s harsh winter, and all the plowing that went with, hastened the process.

“Last winter really got us moving on it,” he said.

The township will consider adopting the bill at their regular meeting on March 3.