Scooter & Motorcycle Parking Update

Finding a common ground — how do you do it? Well, you could start with a conversation, and that’s exactly what the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) and the Motorcycle and Scooter Coalition of Philadelphia did.

For the past few months, the PPA and the Motorcycle and Scooter Coalition have had many great discussions regarding the concerns of scooter and motorcycle riders in Philadelphia. These productive conversations have allowed us to create a plan to address many of the concerns of scooter and motorcycle riders throughout the city.

As motorcycles and scooters add to the diverse transportation system in Philadelphia, the PPA will continue working to provide sufficient access and safety for all commuters. With that said — check out the plan below:

1. PPA will offer an annual “virtual permit” for scooter and motorcycle riders. The annual $250 permit will start on February 1, 2015 and will allow unlimited parking at any corral. Three-month virtual permits will also be available for purchase for $75.  Please note, the permits are only valid for parking at designated scooter & motorcycle corrals.  Permits will be available for purchase starting January 20, 2015 at PPA’s Customer Service Department at 35 North 8^th Street.  Riders will need proof of insurance and a vehicle registration to obtain a virtual permit.  For more information, please call 215-683-9730.

2. Meters will not be reinstalled at corrals. Vehicles parked in corrals must have a virtual permit or display a valid kiosk receipt. If a rider purchases $5 worth of time at a kiosk, they can use the receipt to park all day at any corral.

• We highly encourage scooter and motorcyclists to purchase locking permit display holders depicted here to avoid theft of kiosk receipts. Display holders are also easy to make with a few simple hardware items. Instructions to build your own display holders can be found here.
• If you don’t have a permit holder, we encourage scooter and motorcyclists to take a picture of their receipt. That way if it’s stolen and a ticket is issued, the pictures will serve as evidence if you choose to contest it. These pictures can also be forwarded to us via Facebook and Twitter.
• If you purchased $5 worth of time with a credit card, the last four digits will verify your purchase. That way if the receipt is stolen and a ticket is issued, the credit card transaction will serve as evidence if you choose to contest it.

3. Dense parking is allowed at corrals. This means you can park as many vehicles that can reasonably fit into the corrals. Please be conscientious when parking to avoid any damage to other vehicles.

4. On residential blocks, including those in Center City and University City which are posted for Residential Permit Parking (RPP), motorcycles and scooters will be permitted to park on the sidewalk in front of the operator’s residence under the following conditions:

• The block is posted for RPP and the motorcycle or scooter has a valid RPP permit for that district. A Day Pass or Temporary RPP permit issued to a resident’s visitor will also be honored.
• The scooter or motorcycle must be parked against the building and must not interfere with pedestrian travel.
• The operator must have the permission of the property owner.
• Motorcycles and scooters must be turned off and walked from the curb to the place it is parked on the sidewalk.
• On unregulated residential blocks, motorcycles or scooters may park in front of their home without a permit as long as the other conditions are met.

The motorcycle/scooter Residential Permit costs $35 a year and it is not included in the tiered scale of permits, so it does not affect the cost of any other permits in a single household.  Permits may be purchased at 35 North 8^th Street with proof of residence, vehicle insurance and registration.

5. Signs will be installed instructing non-permit riders to purchase time at kiosks to pay for corral parking. Enforcement at corrals will begin February 1, 2015.
6. Scooters and motorcycles are not permitted to park in bicycle corrals.

We’d like to thank the members of the Motorcycle and Scooter Coalition for all of their hard work and dedication to make Philadelphia a motorcycle and scooter friendly city!

If you have any questions or concerns, continue the conversation and reach out to us via Twitter or Facebook.