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Meter Fines Raised in East Stroudsburg

EAST STROUDSBURG — Letting your parking meter run out in East Stroudsburg will now cost you a little more. Just a few weeks ago, parking fines throughout ...

EAST STROUDSBURG -- Letting your parking meter run out in East Stroudsburg will now cost you a little more.

Just a few weeks ago, parking fines throughout the borough were raised by more than 50 percent.

"They are not that expensive but it's the penalty that will get you now. Sometimes people aren't in the position to park anywhere they want, they might just have to park there or use the meters," said Paul Sanderson, East Stroudsburg.

Downtown, fines for parking at an expired meter jumped from $4 to $10.

Over by East Stroudsburg University and Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono, fines have been raised from $15 to $25.

Rates for borough parking lots and meters will stay the same.

Courtney Merrigan is an ESU student and believes the increases are too much.

"We already pay an expensive amount of a parking permit and can't find parking on campus so to pay the metered parking is kind of annoying as is on campus grounds," said Courtney Merrigan, ESU Student.

All the money that is made from raising meter fines will go towards upgrades throughout the borough. Officials say one big problem they want to fix is lighting.

"We've received a lot of complaints over the years with how bad the lighting was; people didn't feel safe. So we want to make it a friendlier place for people to come out and shop," said Brian Bond, East Stroudsburg borough manager.

Brian Bond is the East Stroudsburg Borough Manager. He says the increase will also help offset the cost of parking enforcement.

"We actually started to do a foot patrol now. All the parking enforcement for the meters, they actually walk the beat. We wanted to do that to make people feel safer and if they have any questions, they can talk to the parking enforcement officers and also to have a presence out there," says Bond.

Borough officials also hope to install electronic parking kiosks sometime this year.  Any extra money from the increased meter fines will also go towards that project.

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