Parking fees at Septa surface lots continues to be free “until further notice”

Submitted by mmmagic1216 t3_101yet6 in philadelphia

Free parking was supposed to end on 12/31/22, but the Septa web site has removed the date and now says parking fees remain suspended until further notice. We’re going on 3 full years that they have not enforced the parking fees or parking permits at the surface lots. (If you didn’t know, you can park in a permit space as a non-permit holder and not get ticketed.)

It’s also unclear to me if the parking lot payment kiosks - installed around the same time as the key card readers - actually work to pay for parking. I’ve never tried to use one, but it looks like you enter your parking space and pay with your key card or maybe a credit card? Would be great if that’s how it works so carrying QUARTERS to pay the $1 will be a thing of the past.

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CathedralEngine t1_j2qd95o wrote

Did anyone ever actually pay to park in a septa lot?

I think parking at the lots will be free until ridership increases to the point where they can justify paying someone to actually check to see if people paid.

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mmmagic1216 OP t1_j2qeqdx wrote

I always did haha, and when I take longer trips I parked my car for multiple days at a time. Beats parking at PHL, that’s for sure, especially now with what they’re charging. And I had to write a check to pay for the Septa parking. A check. The back of the coin slot box has a slot in the back for envelopes. You have to write out your parking space, car make & model, dates you’re parked, etc. It’s a whole … archaic process lol.

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doMinationp t1_j2tapnt wrote

pre-pandemic the lots at Paoli filled up pretty quickly to the point it was almost necessary to pay for monthly permit parking in order to ensure getting a spot especially if you commuted daily

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Brunt-FCA-285 t1_j2r587r wrote

I used to live in Media, and I’d find the closest on-street parking that wasn’t time-limited or permit parking. So what if I had to park four or five blocks away? SEPTA wasn’t getting my money. Since then, I’ve made it a point to find free parking near SEPTA stations, even if I had to walk a bit.

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mmmagic1216 OP t1_j2rq9ew wrote

Why would you do that when Septa lots are just $1 -and- they are free on weekends!

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ShartistKutti t1_j2rxdwc wrote

So I've been paying for parking every time I've parked at a lot, and could have had free parking? It's times like this I wish my parking-sign anxiety was non-existent.

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mmmagic1216 OP t1_j2s8689 wrote

Parking fees have been suspended at Septa surface lots since March 2020! At the stations I frequent, there are numerous signs that say parking fees are suspended until (date), now they say “until further notice.” The Septa web site says the same on their parking page.

I didn’t think anyone was collecting from the coin slot banks, so I wonder if money is piling up in them or how much they can accept before they get full?

Sorry you’ve been paying all this time!!

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ShartistKutti t1_j2saqcj wrote

Its okay, I just can't read.

Hopefully they take all that extra cash and put it to work. :')

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FormalManifold t1_j2s2yk4 wrote

Welcome to the club. I was paying for like a year before I found out.

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ShartistKutti t1_j2s4a0t wrote

Upset, though I'd be even more upset a year in. Its only been 3-4 months.

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GemLong28 t1_j2tdgzn wrote

Have you been using the coin slots to pay?

I once tried to pay for parking using the kiosk and it told me that parking is free! Then I saw the signs that parking was free until 12/31/2022.

I’m glad to see they’re extending free parking, sorry you’ve been paying when you didn’t have to.

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ShartistKutti t1_j2teo3l wrote

I've never once had that happen! But it was laundry change my ex left behind, so it is what it is. But I do remember once in September I asked another rider about parking and they told me to pay at the kiosk, maybe they were unaware as well

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GemLong28 t1_j2tf6cw wrote

Interesting… I tried to pay at a regional rail station. I’m not sure if that makes a difference.

Yes!! I’m glad your ex’s laundry coins went to good use!

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WeeSmallHours t1_j2ru3ny wrote

This is my perspective from a regular Jenkintown rider's perspective.

The touch screen kiosks did work for a few months. They sucked - everyone had to start showing up 5-10 minutes early to stand in line to pfutz with the kiosk before catching their train. A lot of people got out of line in frustration every day when their train came, and I presume called Septa to get the parking tickets waived.

Septa put signs on all of them and re-installed the quarter slot boards that had been removed.

That was all pre-pandemic. Of course the signs on the kiosks are long gone. I don't know if they would still work or not, or if the parking enforcement folks would know you'd paid there. The slot boards are the "official" payment AFAIK...

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mmmagic1216 OP t1_j2rv2ya wrote

Oh interesting! So they actually worked for awhile! I frequent the Norristown Transportation Center and the coin slot to pay for parking is still there, but so are the kiosks. Periodically they’d update the signage on them all to say “Welcome back! Parking is free until X.” I haven’t seen what they say now that it’s 2023. Has to be ultra confusing if you’re a new rider …

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jamin_g t1_j2rdwt7 wrote

I would just show up at the lady left. But yes. Everyday at jenkintown.

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failedabortion4444 t1_j2zpbs2 wrote

theres been a sign taped to the coin slots at the stations i go to. they keep replacing it to change the date. pre-pandemic i never was able to get a spot at these lots since they filled up before 8am but now they are starting to fill back up as people go back to work

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mmmagic1216 OP t1_j31vnnz wrote

The benefit of living where I live (Blue Bell) is that there are numerous options to choose from. I can choose Manayunk / Norristown, Lansdale / Doylestown or Glenside. Glenside, Ambler and NTC have large surface lots so I normally frequent those.

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