Over 3,100 parking tickets issued during the first 5 days of Philly’s FIFA Fan Fest. Less than 6% were issued in error, PPA says

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The Philadelphia Parking Authority is making sure any tickets issued to permit holders around the FIFA Fan Festival in Fairmount are canceled.

Gabe Roberts, PPA’s acting director, said during the first five days of the festival at Lemon Hill, workers covered almost 600 city blocks around East Fairmount Park.

In total, 3,169 tickets were issued, 181 of which were issued in error. Those wrongly issued have been corrected after officials compared license plates with active permits, Roberts said.

The cancellation process also applies to the handful of people whose cars were incorrectly towed. Roberts said any money paid for towing will also be refunded.

“We’re also going to be notifying residents as well through the mail, and we’re also looking at a way of making phone calls out to those folks,” he said. “Because we know the angst that a ticket on the windshield can cause, especially one that you didn’t earn.”

Roberts said they are seeing fewer errors with the new ticketing program as PPA employees work through early problems.

“We’re already seeing the number of tickets that were issued in error trending downward pretty significantly,” he said. “I just feel really good about the direction that we’re heading as we iron out some of these early kinks.”

The agency’s goal is to ensure people attending the fan festival can coexist with people who live near the park.

“Our folks are working very hard to make sure that we’re helping folks enjoy it and keeping our streets safe in people’s neighborhoods in an orderly way so they can enjoy these festivities and enjoy what we hope to be a really successful and exciting celebration of our city and our anniversary,” Roberts said.

Residents who want to confirm their ticket was canceled can contact the PPA by calling 215-683-9421 or 215-683-9677, or by emailing engageppa@philapark.org.