Where Columbus drivers are likely to get parking tickets
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- It’s something thousands of people in Columbus know too well: parking tickets and the cost that comes with them.
NBC4 Investigates sorted through every parking ticket people in Columbus received last year and found where drivers are most likely to get hit with a ticket if they let the meter run out.
Along Gay Street, you’re likely to hear a few sighs, groans, and maybe even some choice words because the stretch on East Gay Street between North Third and Lazelle streets is where more people got ticketed than anywhere else in Columbus: 2,722 parking tickets issued in 2024, just on this one block.
"It's guttural. It's like I don't have $50 to give," Columbus resident Kate Maynard said.
Last year, 164,602 parking tickets were stuck to cars in the city of Columbus.
"First time was I just got out of dinner and I was super happy and then all of a sudden, $100 ticket, so kind of upset, you could say," Columbus resident Randall Walden said.
Columbus’ Division of Parking Services is out patrolling all parking zones, but some areas are more work than others.
"Any area where we see a large amount of parking tickets, those are high-demand areas," Columbus Mobility and Parking Division Administrator Justin Goodwin said. "That's where lots of people want to be at various times of day, they’re business districts or entertainment districts."
High Street is another one that’s high on the list; zoom in and it’s three blocks in particular: the 600, 700 and 900 blocks of High Street. That’s the lower part of the Short North near East First Avenue. On these three blocks, there were more than 7,000 tickets issued last year.
"Just working in the Short North, I know that a lot of people get tickets even when they haven't been here for that long," Maynard said.
Another hotspot is the 600 block of Park Street, down toward the end of Goodale Park, closer to the North Market.
"Columbus is pretty on top of it, even if you're over," Walden said. "I think my first parking ticket was maybe 10 minutes over, instantly got a parking ticket."
Enforcement got even stricter last summer. From July through September, the city increased patrols along North High Street and the top five most ticketed spots were in that area.
"Wherever there's a high demand for parking, unfortunately, that's where we often see parking violations and parking enforcement as part of a toolkit that we have to ensure turnover of parking and availability of parking for the general public," Goodwin said.
If you’re going downtown, here’s one piece of advice from the parking enforcers: putting on your hazards is a glaring red flag to them and will likely get you a ticket even if you’re fast.
They say park in a spot and stay on top of the app; it will save you money in the long run.