Parking is getting easier in Center City, apparently because of higher parking meter rates enacted in January, according to the most recent "meter occupancy rate" survey by the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
A year ago, 97 percent of Center City meters were occupied during business hours. Now, 77 percent are, said PPA spokeswoman Linda Miller.
The point of increasing parking fees isn't just to soak drivers, it's to reduce the amount of additional congestion cost by people driving around looking for parking spaces. If I was the benevolent dictator I'd soak drivers and spend it on SUPERTRAINS, bad sadly even if I was the benevolent dictator, the Philadelphia Parking Authority would be more powerful than me.