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No ticket, no tow, just note

The chamber president praises a program that lets first-time parking violators off with a nice warning.

By ALEXANDRA ZAYAS
Published October 6, 2006

It's the friendliest note the city parking division could tuck under the windshield wiper of a car at an expired parking meter:

Welcome to Ybor City!

This is a Courtesy Warning. There is NO fine.

It goes on to say: Ybor City is full of exciting things to see and do, therefore we understand that you could have parked in one space beyond the expired time. Should you decide to stay longer to enjoy the local sites, please be sure to deposit enough money in the meter in order to avoid a fine.

Please visit us again!

City officials began the warning program in 2000, when Centro Ybor opened, to encourage visitors.

"It was to ease some of the frustration of folks coming to Ybor City," said city parking division manager Jim Corbett. "It was one way to lessen some of the negative feelings from people coming to Ybor City."

Six years later, first-time offenders still receive a ticket jacket with a parking map on the back, detailing fees and regulations for meters and garages.

Though the fine reads $0.00, the warning logs the offending car's license number for a year, Corbett said. So second-time offenders can expect a real ticket - and a fine of $25.

Ybor City Chamber of Commerce president Tom Keating praised the program for benefiting tourists or first-time visitors unfamiliar with Ybor City. As more restaurants open, he hopes the amount of free parking spaces will increase to accommodate the growing lunch crowd.

"I think it's moving in the right direction," Keating said. "I'd like to see us move farther to become more parking-friendly. I think this is going to become a focal point."

Alexandra Zayas can be reached at 226-3354 or azayas@sptimes.com.

[Last modified October 5, 2006, 07:09:00]