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22,000 Parking Tickets Distributed In Athens In 2013
< < Back to 22000-parking-tickets-distributed-athens-2013The city of Athens brought in approximately $900,000 in 2013. These parking violations brought big money to the city.
Lauren Nichols, a student at Ohio University, was forced pick up her car after it was towed. She was parked at Walter Hall on Ohio University campus on a Friday night when the event occurred. She faced a fine of $160 for the tow and impound.
Most residents of Athens know about the parking tickets and know that ticketing is a common occurrence. According to the Athens City Police's 2013 Annual Report, approximately 22,000 tickets were issued in 2013. These tickets brought in just under $900,000 for the city. The money goes to the city's general fund.
Juliana Schiderer, a student at Ohio University, feels that confusion is why people are ticketed.
“I don’t know if the parking situation is as good as it could be," she said. "Not all the spots are easily accessible. I don’t know if a lot of people even know where they can park and where they can’t.”
The key to avoiding ticketing in Athens is to know the rules and regulations of the city. Always make sure to check signs for rules. One of the biggest citations is violation of the 24-hour parking rule. Leaving your car in an unmetered city street for longer than a full day can result in a ticket. People are urged to make sure to move cars daily. In order to avoid being ticketed, it is also recommended that one first make sure that the meter is paid.
The most common ticket given out is for expired street meters with 12,365 given out last year. The 24-hour parking violation resulted in almost 3,000 tickets. The 2-hour limit brought in about 2,000 tickets and restricted sign and signs prohibited rounded out the top five citations for parking violations in Athens in 2013 with about 1,000 tickets. The best way to avoid a citation is to do research by visiting the Athens government website at ci.athens.oh.us.
"[Spend] 10 minutes looking at the parking brochure making sure…you are in the right lot where you won’t get towed or a get a ticket,” Schiderer said.