Parking Tickets

LEDE: THE NEW PARKING FINE SYSTEM IN IOWA CITY HAS CAUSED AN INCREASE IN TOWING RATES, PARKING FINES, AND CONFUSION AMONG MANY IOWA CITY RESIDENTS.

:00 Take pkg- runs 1:31

MANY DRIVERS HAVE FOUND AN UNWELCOME SLIP OF PAPER ON THERE WINDSHIELD--A PARKING TICKET.

PARKING METERS AND SIDE STREET PARKING SEEM LIKE A CHEAP ALTERNATIVE TO PRICEY PARKING SPOTS OR PARKING GARAGES.

LINGERING RUMORS OF A TOWING LIST MAY HAVE SOME BELIEVING THIS NOTION ISN'T TRUE.

SUPPOSEDLY, ONCE YOUR CAR GETS TOWED, YOU’RE AUTOMATICALLY TOW ELIGIBLE FOR ANY PARKING CITATIONS-INCLUDING NOT FEEDING A PARKING METER.

BUT IOWA CITY OFFICIALS SAY THIS RUMOR ISN’T TRUE.

:25 CG City Transportation Officials

THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT ACCURATE. AS FAR AS THE CITY HANDLES IT, ONCE YOU PAY OFF YOUR CITATIONS YOU START OVER AGAIN.

BUT, IF YOU DONT PLAN ON PAYING YOUR PARKING TICKETS, BE PREPARED TO BE TOWED.

:36 CG Sarah Ferguson Reporting

A CAR CAN BE PARKED LEGALLY AND STILL BE TOWED IF THEY HAVE OVER FIFTY DOLLARS IN UNPAID PARKING TICKETS. SO FOR INSTANCE, THIS CAR HAS PAID THE METER BUT IF THE OWNER HAS FIFTY DOLLARS IN UNPAID PARKING TICKETS, THEY CAN BE TOWED.

THE HIKE IN PARKING TICKET FEES IN JULY TWO THOUSAND NINE IS FUELING THIS RUMOR---MAKING IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO REACH FIFTY DOLLARS IN PARKING FINES.

:57 Take Graphic

IF A PARKING TICKET IS NOT PAID WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF WHEN THE TICKET WAS ISSUED, THE FINE INCREASES BY FIVE DOLLARS. THE FINES CONTINUE TO CLIMB UNTIL A NINTH OFFENSE IS REACHED, HAVING YOU SITTING AT TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS PER TICKET.


THE AMOUNT OF CARS TOWED FROM IOWA CITY STREETS HAS GONE UP SINCE JULY--BUT THE NUMBER OF PARKING TICKETS ISSUED HAS DECREASED.

1:17 CG Chris O’Brien, Trans. Director

IT'S ODD WHEN YOU SEE CITATIONS DROP AND TOWS INCREASE BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SEEN.

THIS INFORMATION MAY BE GOOD NEWS FOR SOME CITY DRIVERS--BUT FOR THOSE WHO TEND TO RACK UP PARKING TICKETS--A TOW TRUCK MAY BE THE WAY.

1:29 CG Take Out Cue SARAH FERGUSON, DAILY IOWAN TV.
1:31 Tape Ends

(anchor tag)
IOWA CITY TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS SAY THAT THE NEW PARKING SYSTEM IS MORE EFFICIENT IN COLLECTING FINES.