Is Birmingham Headed For A Parking Crisis?

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/05/parkingtickets.jpeg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1920;s:6:"height";i:1365;s:4:"file";s:27:"2015/05/parkingtickets.jpeg";s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"parkingtickets-336x239.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:239;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"parkingtickets-771x548.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:548;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"parkingtickets-140x140.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"parkingtickets-768x546.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:546;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"parkingtickets-1536x1092.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:1092;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"parkingtickets-80x80.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"parkingtickets-600x338.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"parkingtickets-600x600.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"parkingtickets-437x311.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:437;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"parkingtickets-373x265.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:373;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"parkingtickets-600x400.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"parkingtickets-600x600.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"parkingtickets-125x125.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:6565166;s:14:"optimized_size";i:1087375;s:7:"percent";d:83.439999999999998;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:55:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/parkingtickets.jpeg";s:13:"original_size";i:6327555;s:14:"optimized_size";i:912734;s:7:"percent";d:85.579999999999998;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/parkingtickets-771x548.jpeg";s:13:"original_size";i:101757;s:14:"optimized_size";i:74165;s:7:"percent";d:27.120000000000001;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/parkingtickets-80x80.jpeg";s:13:"original_size";i:3876;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3849;s:7:"percent";d:0.69999999999999996;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/parkingtickets-600x338.jpeg";s:13:"original_size";i:57647;s:14:"optimized_size";i:41991;s:7:"percent";d:27.16;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/parkingtickets-437x311.jpeg";s:13:"original_size";i:41583;s:14:"optimized_size";i:30497;s:7:"percent";d:26.66;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/parkingtickets-373x265.jpeg";s:13:"original_size";i:32748;s:14:"optimized_size";i:24139;s:7:"percent";d:26.289999999999999;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1666857942 
1432832850

Since July, Birmingham has issued over 46,000 tickets, but only a little more than half have been paid. As WBHM and the weekly newspaper WELD report, there’s an attitude in Birmingham that you don’t have to pay parking tickets.

“That’s my third one today,” a woman told WELD, seemingly defeated. “It’s not like I’m going to pay it though.”

Is the current system of street side parking sustainable or is Birmingham headed for a parking crisis? For more, WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley spoke to Nick Patterson, editor of WELD. He discussed WELD’s cover story on the city’s parking issues.

 

parkingmetersThis story is part of WBHM and WELD’s joint look at issues facing the city of Birmingham’s parking infrastructure. For more, listen to Birmingham’s Broken Parking Meters by WBHM’s Ashley Cleek. With more restaurants, businesses and residents returning to the city center once again, those steel gray meters with an appetite for quarters are stirring concerns among those who live and work downtown.

 

What are your unique holiday traditions? NPR wants to know

The holiday season is full of traditions and we all celebrate them a bit differently. NPR wants to your most unique holiday traditions. What makes celebrating this time of year feel special for you?

What are your unique holiday traditions? NPR wants to know

The holiday season is full of traditions and we all celebrate them a bit differently. NPR wants to your most unique holiday traditions. What makes celebrating this time of year feel special for you?

3 culinary tricks that might get you to eat more veggies, according to chef Roy Choi

Chef Roy Choi, known for his Korean-Mexican fusion food trucks, focuses on veggie-forward dishes in a new cookbook. He shares techniques to get you excited about your greens, plus 3 flavorful sauces.

3 culinary tricks that might get you to eat more veggies, according to chef Roy Choi

Chef Roy Choi, known for his Korean-Mexican fusion food trucks, focuses on veggie-forward dishes in a new cookbook. He shares techniques to get you excited about your greens, plus 3 flavorful sauces.

Trade tensions hang over Trump’s Asia trip, but he still aims to make a deal

President Trump plans to attend a summit in Malaysia before meeting the new Japanese prime minister in Tokyo and talking to Chinese President Xi Jinping in Korea.

Blue Jays rout Dodgers 11-4 in World Series opener

Addison Barger launched the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history, as the Toronto Blue Jays overwhelmed the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener Friday night in Toronto.

More Front Page Coverage