South Side merchants oppose extended parking meter enforcement

South Side merchants say extending parking meter enforcement in the bustling bar and restaurant district to pay for additional police patrols will only hurt their businesses.

Pittsburgh City Council last week approved an “enhanced parking district” that will extend meter enforcement to midnight and adjust meter rates based on demand. A start date is uncertain.

“The extended enforcement puts South Side businesses at a competitive disadvantage to everybody else in the city,” said Rich Cupka, owner of two eponymous bars and a coffee shop in the South Side.

Some merchants and property owners told the Tribune-Review that they felt left out of efforts to plan or gauge the impact of the parking district championed by City Councilman Bruce Kraus of the South Side.

Kraus said planning was an “open and public process.” He said he organized five briefings with the South Side Chamber of Commerce. City and transportation officials, South Side residents and representatives of food and beverage groups all participated.

Cupka and others said the immediate problem is four residential permit parking areas that limit parking to two hours between noon and midnight Monday through Friday.

“All these small companies moved to the South Side and their employees are all getting (parking tickets) because you can't get a parking permit if you're not a resident,” said Ned Shekels, a Downtown Realtor who owns apartments and commercial properties in the neighborhood. “All this did was penalize the businesses over here during the day.”

Kraus said his staff is aware of the problem.

“My office, in conjunction with the mayor's office, has been working with local businesses to develop systems that can support local neighborhood small businesses to address their needs in providing parking for their employees,” he said.

Regulations permit residents to apply for a residential permit parking zone if they can get one representative of at least 70 percent of households in a designated area to agree and sign a petition. As a member of council, Kraus supported the permitted parking. “My role in this process is to cast a vote based on the confirmation that all criteria was met or exceeded,” Kraus said. “That was certainly the case in this situation, and I cast my vote in support of the residents' efforts accordingly.”

Mayor Bill Peduto in November outlined plans to extend meter enforcement until midnight and use the extra revenue to pay for additional police patrols in the neighborhood. Meter enforcement in the rest of Pittsburgh ends at 6 p.m.

The city has been trying to limit drunken revelry stemming from crowds frequenting South Side bars and clubs. It paid Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Responsible Hospitality Institute $300,000 over three years to recommend ways to make East Carson Street, the main drag, safer.

Kraus in the past has said he would favor offering free shuttle service from a public lot on Second Avenue, Uptown, to the South Side.

Jonathan Growall, president of the South Side Chamber of Commerce, said the shuttle service would conflict with Responsible Hospitality Institute's plans and that business owners don't think customers, particularly those older than college age, would use it.

He said extra meter revenue should be used for business district enhancements such as a salary for a main street manager.

“I would love to see that parking revenue money come back to the neighborhood,” he said.

McNulty said city officials have formed a task force to examine all parking issues. He said the mayor's office has met with residents, businesses and city officials to talk over the issue, including a sit-down with six business owners Wednesday.

“The city is taking the issue head-on and committed to working with all parties to find parking solutions,” he said.

Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff writer. He can be reached at 412-765-2312 or bbauder@tribweb.com.