Councilman Wants to Outlaw Selling Your Public Parking Space

A Philadelphia City Councilman wants to outlaw a new app that allows you to sell your public parking space to the next driver. Councilman Bill Greenlee says MonkeyParking, already in service in other cities, should be against the law in Philadelphia.

Here’s how MonkeyParking works: You note your public parking space in the app. When you want to leave, your space goes to the highest bidder. If you’re driving and you need a space, instead of circling around the block a bunch of times, you tell MonkeyParking how much you’re willing to pay for a spot and the app directs you to a user nearby who’s about to leave their spot.

Pretty simple! Also pretty weird. Whatever your thoughts on it — even if you think free parking has a high cost — Greenlee wants to stop MonkeyParking before it gets here.

“There’s something just fundamentally wrong, in my opinion, with anyone selling what should be a free parking spot,” Greenlee told KYW 1060. “People should have the right to pull in freely. And it certainly can lead to a lot of problems, I think.”

On Thursday, Greenlee is introducing a measure making it a $250 fine to auction off your parking space.

[KYW 1060]