Rich Lazer Departing PPA
(Philadelphia) — The Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) announced today that Rich Lazer will be departing the PPA effective May 31st. Lazer has served as Executive Director of the PPA for the past three years.
The PPA formally accepted Lazer’s resignation during today’s Board meeting.
“Rich’s partnership with the board over the past three years, coupled with the dedication of every PPA employee, has stabilized our operations, strengthened our organization and restored our credibility,” said Lynette Brown-Sow, Chairperson of the PPA Board.
“While we will miss the face and the voice many of us have come to love, our mission remains unchanged. Our work continues. Our commitment to the communities we serve is unwavering,” she said.
Commenting on his departure, Lazer said, “I’m grateful to the Board for their leadership, partnership, and trust over the last three years. Together, we helped turn this agency around and move it forward in a real way.”
“I’m most proud of the progress we made — strengthening public safety and improving the quality of life across our neighborhoods,” he said.
“We have one of the best workforces in Philadelphia. I want to thank the entire PPA team for their dedication and commitment to serving the public every day. I’m leaving with a lot of pride,” he said.
During Lazer’s tenure the PPA earned widespread praise and recognition, including Philadelphia Magazine’s first-ever ‘Best City Agency’ designation.
The PPA named current Deputy Director Gabe Roberts as Interim Executive Director effective June 1st. The Board will select a search committee to begin searching for a permanent successor.
“Gabe Roberts came to the PPA in 2023 after twelve years at the Philadelphia Courts where he earned a stellar reputation for strategic planning and communications. Gabe has worked closely with Rich — having been involved in every major PPA decision since his arrival. He has demonstrated tremendous leadership and management skills, coupled with sharing the Board’s vision for expanding the PPA’s emphasis on public safety and quality-of-life initiatives,” said Brown-Sow.
School-Zone Speed Camera Warning Period Ends Full Enforcement Begins TODAY – Monday — April 20th
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Parking Authority’s school-zone speed camera warning period has ended — with full enforcement beginning Monday, April 20th.
“Every student deserves a safe trip to school. In a city where 4 children are hit by a driver while walking each week, we must make bold moves to bolster traffic safety on dangerous roads around our school buildings. As chair of Council’s Education Committee, the expansion of the city’s successful automated enforcement program to school corridors is an exciting development that will help keep students, families, and school staff safe. I was proud to get this legislation passed and am grateful to the experts at OTIS and the PPA for their hard work getting this program operational,” said Councilman Thomas
School Zone Speed Enforcement Camera Locations:
- 5 serious injury crashes
- 4 pedestrian crashes
- 1 speeding related crash
- 2 crashes resulted in serious pedestrian injuries: one from 2021 and one from 2022.
- 1 serious injury crash
- 9 pedestrian crashes
- 1 fatal crash
- 5 pedestrian crashes
- 1 speeding related crash
- The fatal crash occurred in March 2023, at 11 AM. It was a pedestrian fatality crash at the Broad/Olney intersection.
- 2 serious injury crashes
- 3 pedestrian crashes
- 3 speeding related crash
- 1 serious injury crash
- 4 pedestrian crashes
60 Day Warning Period for Automated Speed Enforcement Cameras on Stretch of Route 13 in Northeast Philadelphia Has Begun
(PHILADELPHIA) — The Philadelphia Parking Authority announced that a 60-day warning period for new automated speed enforcement cameras along a stretch of Route 13 in Northeast Philadelphia will begin MONDAY – April 13th.
During this initial 60-day warning period drivers will not be ticketed; instead, they will receive warnings in the mail if recorded speeding.
“Speed enforcement cameras are critically important tools that have dramatically reduced speeding along Roosevelt Boulevard by 95%,” said Rich Lazer, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Parking Authority. “This program is about improving public safety and saving lives. We hope to bring about similar results along Broad Street, where cameras were installed last year, and now Route #13.”
The speed limit on this stretch of Rt. #13—which includes cameras located at 9900 Frankford Ave, 8300 Frankford Ave, 7000 Frankford Ave, 6400 Frankford Ave, 3100 Levick St., and 2100 Robbins St. is 25 miles-per-hour (MPH).
Drivers traveling 11 mph over the speed limit will be ticketed. Fines are $100 for traveling 11-19 mph over the speed limit, $125 for 20-29 mph over, and $150 for 30+ mph over. No points are assigned to the driver’s license.
Official ticketing will begin on Friday, June 12th at 12:01 am.
“The City’s partnership with PPA to implement automated speed cameras along routes in the city where we know the most speeding-related injuries and deaths occur is showing to be effective in saving lives,” said Michael A. Carroll, Deputy Managing Director, Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems. “Revenue collected by PPA, above what covers automated enforcement program costs, is used to implement more traffic safety improvement programs in Philadelphia.”
Last year the PPA installed 30 automated speed cameras the length of Broad Street in Philadelphia. This installation added to 40 cameras that currently run the length of Roosevelt Boulevard, bringing the total number of automated speed cameras in Philadelphia to 80 (Includes 10 on Rt 13).
For more information, please go to the PPA’s ASE program webpage.
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60 Day Warning Period for Automated Speed Enforcement Cameras on Stretch of Route 13 in Northeast Philadelphia Will Begin Monday – April 13th
(PHILADELPHIA) — The Philadelphia Parking Authority announced that a 60-day warning period for new automated speed enforcement cameras along a stretch of Route 13 in Northeast Philadelphia will begin MONDAY – April 13th.
During this initial 60-day warning period drivers will not be ticketed; instead, they will receive warnings in the mail if recorded speeding.
“Speed enforcement cameras are critically important tools that have dramatically reduced speeding along Roosevelt Boulevard by 95%,” said Rich Lazer, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Parking Authority. “This program is about improving public safety and saving lives. We hope to bring about similar results along Broad Street, where cameras were installed last year, and now Route #13.”
The speed limit on this stretch of Rt. #13—which includes cameras located at 9900 Frankford Ave, 8300 Frankford Ave, 7000 Frankford Ave, 6400 Frankford Ave, 3100 Levick St., and 2100 Robbins St. is 25 miles-per-hour (MPH).
Drivers traveling 11 mph over the speed limit will be ticketed. Fines are $100 for traveling 11-19 mph over the speed limit, $125 for 20-29 mph over, and $150 for 30+ mph over. No points are assigned to the driver’s license.
Official ticketing will begin on Friday, June 12th at 12:01 am.
“The City’s partnership with PPA to implement automated speed cameras along routes in the city where we know the most speeding-related injuries and deaths occur is showing to be effective in saving lives,” said Michael A. Carroll, Deputy Managing Director, Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems. “Revenue collected by PPA, above what covers automated enforcement program costs, is used to implement more traffic safety improvement programs in Philadelphia.”
Last year the PPA installed 30 automated speed cameras the length of Broad Street in Philadelphia. This installation added to 40 cameras that currently run the length of Roosevelt Boulevard, bringing the total number of automated speed cameras in Philadelphia to 80 (Includes 10 on Rt 13).
For more information, please go to the PPA’s ASE program webpage.
Roosevelt Boulevard was once considered one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the nation. Placing speed cameras on Roosevelt Boulevard has dramatically reduced speeding violations by 95 percent, and pedestrian-involved crashes have been reduced by 50 percent since the cameras were put in place.
Automated Trolley Camera Enforcement Begins TODAY — Wednesday, April 1st.
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) reminds drivers that the warning period for automated trolley enforcement cameras on lines T1 through T5, and the G1 route — used to detect vehicles illegally blocking trolley lanes and stopping zones — has ENDED, with full enforcement beginning TODAY, Wednesday, April 1st. (https://youtu.be/Ld957tph0P0)
Forward-facing vision technology-equipped camera systems from Hayden AI (https://youtu.be/Es2P86W9Ljo) are now mounted on 38 trolleys and 152 SEPTA buses. Trained PPA enforcement officers manually review all violations before issuing a citation. Philadelphia is the first city in the country to use this enforcement approach on trolleys.
PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer said, “Vehicles parked illegally in trolley or bus lanes cause unnecessary delays. A single illegally parked vehicle can disrupt service for thousands of riders and create unsafe boarding conditions that force passengers into moving traffic.”
Legislation authorizing the PPA and SEPTA to operate the automated bus and trolley enforcement cameras was sponsored by Councilman Mark Squilla, and was passed unanimously by City Council in October 2023.
New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and other major US cities currently use camera technology to improve safety and bus performance. In New York City, where bus-mounted automated camera enforcement has been in effect since 2019, bus speeds have increased by 5% on average, and collisions have decreased by as much as 34% along bus routes utilizing this technology. Parking violations obstructing bus stops have also decreased by 40%.
“This is a joint PPA/SEPTA initiative that directly supports the City’s Vision Zero goals and aligns with the PPA’s mission to enhance public safety and improve the quality of life for all Philadelphians,” Lazer said.
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About the PPA . . .
Named “Best” city agency for 2023 by Philadelphia Magazine, the PPA is an independent, multifaceted state agency focused on enhancing quality of life and improving public safety, while managing on-street parking and providing garage parking in center city Philadelphia – and regulating taxis, limos and transportation networks.
PPA Releases Report on ADA Mobility Access Initiative
(PHILADELPHIA) – The Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) today released a report on its ADA Mobility Access Initiative that commenced in the spring of 2024. (https://bit.ly/4dFzjNt)
The initiative is a dual public education and on-street enforcement initiative aimed at stopping illegal parking in HP reserved parking spots and on sidewalks, and blocking curb cuts and crosswalks. All of these parking violations impede access for people with disabilities and create serious safety hazards — while inconveniencing thousands of disabled and non-disabled residents alike every year.
PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer said, “the ADA Mobility Access Initiative is aimed at improving public safety by changing behavior and raising public awareness to the safety implications and the adverse impact on people with disabilities when motorists park illegally on sidewalks or block curb cuts and crosswalks.”
In conjunction with increased on-street enforcement efforts, the PPA partnered with Variety – the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley (https://varietyphila.org/) and aired a series of public service announcements (PSAs) featuring Lamoni Green, a Variety Ambassador and local college student born with cerebral palsy and Sheila Hess, the former Philadelphia City Representative who was born with spina bifida — on local radio and on various social media channels.
Lamoni Green and Sheila Hess represent the thousands of Philadelphians and millions of Americans with physical disabilities who must confront barriers every day that impede their access and freedom of movement on our city streets.
Three of the PSAs can be viewed by clicking on the links below;
Almost two years after the start of the initiative, data shows violations relating to accessibility — sidewalk violations rose from 23,513 in 2023 to 58,730 in 2025, while blocked handicap-ramp violations increased from 18,959 to 37,619 over the same period. Corner-clearance and double-parking totals also increased, highlighting both the scale of the challenge and the need for continued citywide enforcement.
“The ADA Mobility Access Initiative reflects a broader quality-of-life strategy by the PPA. By reclaiming sidewalks, curb ramps, and corners, the PPA is helping promote mobility, improve pedestrian safety, reduce hazards near intersections, and reinforce accessibility,” Lazer said.
PPA & SEPTA to Launch Automated Enforcement Cameras on Trolleys
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) today announced that beginning March 2nd, 2026, SEPTA trolleys serving Lines T1 through T5, along with the G1 route, will be equipped with automated enforcement cameras to identify vehicles illegally blocking trolley lanes and stopping zones (https://youtu.be/Ld957tph0P0). A 30-day warning period will precede active enforcement, with $51 fines beginning on April 1st.
Working with the City’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Systems (OTIS), the PPA and SEPTA initially launched their Automated Bus Camera Enforcement Initiative back in the spring of 2025. The program aims to improve safety and alleviate congestion by using camera-mounted computer vision technology to enforce violations for blocking bus lanes, bus stops, and trolley zones.
Forward-facing vision technology-equipped camera systems from Hayden AI (https://youtu.be/Es2P86W9Ljo) have already been mounted on 152 SEPTA buses to enforce parking violations that obstruct public transit, and help improve safety, accessibility, and bus and trolley service reliability for SEPTA riders.
“SEPTA is proud to partner with the Philadelphia Parking Authority on this initiative, which is delivering real improvements for our riders,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer. “Illegally parked vehicles obstructing transit cause delays and slow service and create unnecessary dangers to riders and pedestrians. We have already seen better performance and reliability on bus routes where cameras are in use, and we look forward to seeing the same on trolleys.”
Expanding on the PPA’s ongoing ADA Mobility Access Initiative, PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer said, “Vehicles parked illegally in trolley or bus lanes not only cause unnecessary delays, they threaten the safety and accessibility of all riders. When vehicles obstruct trolley tracks or stopping zones, the impact is more than a minor inconvenience. A single illegally parked vehicle can disrupt service for thousands of riders and create unsafe boarding conditions that force passengers into moving traffic,” said PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer.
Legislation authorizing the PPA and SEPTA to operate the automated bus and trolly enforcement camera program was sponsored by Councilman Mark Squilla, and was passed unanimously by City Council in October 2023. Philadelphia will be the first city in the country to implement this enforcement approach on trolleys.
New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and other major US cities currently use camera technology to improve safety and bus performance. In New York City, where bus-mounted automated camera enforcement has been in effect since 2019, bus speeds have increased by 5% on average and collisions have decreased by as much as 34% along bus routes utilizing this technology. Parking violations obstructing bus stops have also decreased by 40%.
“In a city where 42% of Black residents and 50% of impoverished households do not own a car, efficient public transit is paramount to creating a strong transportation network that better provides economic opportunity for all,” said Christopher Puchalsky, Ph.D., Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, OTIS. “The camera-aided bus and trolley enforcement initiative will ease commutes for working Philadelphians, while improving the performance of SEPTA’s system. This partnership between the PPA, SEPTA, and OTIS spotlights the Parker administration’s commitment to intergovernmental collaboration and a vision of One Philly, a United City.”
“Keeping trolley zones clear isn’t just about enforcing parking rules – it’s about keeping Philadelphia moving. We’re excited to partner with SEPTA and the PPA to launch the nation’s first automated trolley zone enforcement program to help make trolley service more reliable, roads safer, and transit more accessible for every rider in the city,” said Marty Beard, CEO of Hayden AI.
Trained PPA enforcement officers will manually review all violations before issuing warnings or $51 citations. The PPA is working closely with SEPTA to install cameras on a total of 30 trolleys in the coming weeks.
“This is a joint PPA/SEPTA initiative that directly supports the City’s Vision Zero goals and aligns with the PPA’s mission to enhance public safety and improve the quality of life for all Philadelphians,” Lazer said.
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About the PPA . . .
Named “Best” city agency for 2023 by Philadelphia Magazine, the PPA is an independent, multifaceted state agency focused on enhancing quality of life and improving public safety, while managing on-street parking and providing garage parking in Center City Philadelphia – and regulating taxis, limos and transportation networks.
PPA Ends $5 Snow Emergency Garage Rate – Will Resume Meter and Time Zone Parking Enforcement
(PHILADELPHIA) – In response to the end of the snow emergency, the PPA will begin enforcing all parking regulations – including meters and time zones – beginning at 6:30 AM today, Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Safety violations will continue to be enforced immediately as they were during the snow emergency. Towing and impoundment of illegally parked vehicles will resume as well.
Additionally, the $5.00 snow emergency rate for Center City PPA garages will end today at 3 PM. Any vehicle entering after 3 PM today will be charged the normal rate upon exiting the garage.
Vehicle owners whose cars were relocated during the snow emergency can call the city’s snow emergency line at 215-686-SNOW or visit the PPA’s website at www.philapark.org/tow to locate their vehicle.