A NEW initiative that’s coming to a major US city in a matter of weeks will see parking tickets triple in number and fines reach hefty new heights.
The City of Columbia, South Carolina, has unleashed a new parking ordinance that will change the rates of fines from this weekend.
GettyCar owners in Columbia, South Carolina, are facing a hefty increase in parking fines[/caption] GettyIn some cases, fines have increased by $400[/caption]But the good news is that a grace period will take place for car owners as they learn to adjust to the system, according to WIS News 10.
From Monday, March 3, a new parking fee will go into effect for Columbia’s parking decks.
While the city’s previous rate structure was $2 for the first hour, $1 for each additional hour and $10 for a daily pass, the new maximum daily rate will increase by $5, with the city increasing hourly parking at the parking decks by $1 an hour.
The new ordinance – which hasn’t changed in some 20 years – was passed last year with the city council making several changes to the city’s parking payments and rates.
A recent study found that Columbia had grown rapidly, with the city needing to keep up with parking rates in other major cities, according to the assistant city manager of operations.
It sees parking in downtown Columbia rise from costing just 75 cents an hour to $1.50 from March 10 – following the short grace period.
New parking pay stations will also be installed along Main Street; all compatible with the Passport App.
Parking isn’t the only thing going up either, as fines will also increase – rising from $8 to a lofty $25.
What’s more, parking in a fire lane will cost $500 – an increase by more than $400.
The money raised from parking and fines will go to improving the safety and infrastructure of parking garages downtown and license plate readers, according to Elle Matney, Columbia’s new director of parking services.
Local business owners initially pushed back on the increase, which was originally set at $2 per hour, and was set to go into effect on January 1.
City leaders then brought down the rate to $1.50 and pushed back the start date to March 1.
The ordinance will also not be enforced on weekends, but will be enforced in Five Points on Saturdays.
Laurens, South Carolina, saw a different type of change at the end of last year, when a Chevrolet dealership that was run by the same family for generations was sold off after 70 years.
The dealership was originally opened by the Smith family in 1947 as a Pontiac dealership.
But the family also sold Fords, AMCs, Jeeps, and Cadillacs at the 5.1-acre site.
The Smiths owned and ran the dealership from the day it opened its doors until 2020 when they sold it to Greenlight Automotive.
Auctioning of the former Chevrolet dealership was reportedly in response to a US Bankruptcy court order.
Elsewhere, a major mechanic group is offering car repairs worth up to $1,000 to struggling drivers living in Los Angeles.
CarParts.com, Inc. is hosting an initiative called Fix-It Day 2025, which will see mechanics repair vehicles free of charge between 8 am and 5 pm on March 2.
New driving laws in 2025
Drivers across the United States are having to adjust to a slew of new road rules that take effect in 2025. Some of those include:
Daylighting law prohibiting drivers from parking their cars within 20 feet of any crosswalk in California Stricter street racing penalties in California Changes to car seat age and weight requirements in Colorado Fines for failing to follow designated enter and exit areas for express lanes in Colorado Bans on handheld devices while driving in Colorado and Missouri Drivers allowed to have a digital copy of their license on their cell phones in Illinois Yield right of way to emergency vehicles in Illinois Drivers required to take a vision test to renew licenses in Kentucky School bus safety law in Oregon Vehicle safety inspections scrapped in Texas Read More Details
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