Parking in Pittsburgh comes with confusion, changing rules, and how to avoid getting a ticket

Finding parking in Pittsburgh's business districts these days can be a challenge, especially in areas where things have changed - and plenty has changed. 

You do have to be careful, because if you aren't paying attention, what was a parking spot last week might not be one this week, and you could be ticketed. 

Parking confusion on Pittsburgh's North Shore

"[The] signage makes no sense," said Bill Bara of ViewPGH. "I still can't figure out this parking situation on the North Shore, on Federal Street, [off of] the Clemente Bridge." 

Bara brought this to our attention with a video that showed no parking signs near the parking meters on the North Shore. 

"The point is, it's complete confusion," he said. 

It didn't take long to confirm Bara's video, one quick walk over the bridge to Federal Street, and it's certainly a land of confusion. 

"The individual was correct, it was very confusing," said Pittsburgh Parking Authority Executive Director David Onorato. "The city had installed a bike lane and did not tell us, hung new signs up, and we had a smart loading zone there, too, so they hung up the bike lane. They didn't take our signs down or inform us to remove the meter." 

Now, according to Onorato, it's being corrected. In the next week, they'll be removing the meter, and the city will take the paid parking signs down. 

Along with that, the smart loading zone and its cameras will also be taken down. 

New parking regulations in the Strip District

However, Federal Street isn't the only place leaving drivers confused. Despite the city putting up alert signs to changes, drivers still find themselves scrambling to figure out where they can or can't park, what's a delivery zone, and how you can park. 

Specifically, the back-in-only parking at the Terminal in the Strip District. 

"Traffic engineers said that was the best option for the flow of traffic on that street," Onorato said. 

So, when you head to the Strip, be careful and back into the spot, because the violators are obvious and tickets are issued. 

What can I do if I get a ticket? 

Onorato said that if you are to contest a ticket, make sure to snap a few pictures illustrating the confusion. 

As Bara said, if the locals don't understand it, it's going to be even more difficult for visitors.