About

We are a strategic partner in the City of Williamsport

We help provide organized, accessible and efficient parking for the Williamsport Central Business District.

WPA currently operates and maintains 15 municipal lots and 2 parking garages
WPA maintains over 200 street meters and other related street traffic zones

The Williamsport Parking Authority lots and garages are used by downtown business customers, merchant employees, civic organizations as well as host to the Williamsport Outdoor Growers Market each summer season.

The Williamsport Parking Authority is proud to be an active partner in the revitalization of Downtown Williamsport and positively contributes to economic development in the Central Business District.

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Street Meters

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Municipal Lots

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Parking Garages

A historical timeline of the
Williamsport Parking Authority

1899 - 1901

First automobiles

The first automobiles start appearing on the streets of Williamsport.

October 20, 1933

Parking regulation

Garage owners ask for a city ordinance prohibiting all night parking. This may have been the first attempt to regulate parking in the City of Williamsport.

February 21, 1940

Parking meters

Robert Eyerman - Former president of the Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce spoke to the Young Men's Business Club in Williamsport and spoke of the desirability of having parking meters in the downtown. He said the system has worked well in Wilkes-Barre and has increased the number of parking spots available to shoppers and realized a profit of $2,842 for 1938 and 1939.

October 27, 1941

The first parking ticket

Paid parking meters are used in downtown Williamsport for the first time. There were 366 parking meters installed in the downtown area. Harry Giles of Montoursville became the first person to be fined $1 for parking after his time expired on his meter and oddly enough he was issued a ticket with a designation of Number 1.

June 10, 1952

WPA organized

The Williamsport Parking Authority was formally organized. Its first five members were: George L. Stearns, 2nd , John Whiting, Lewis W. Bluemle, Benjamin Pulizzi and J. Wesley Edwards. The forming ofthe Parking Authority came at the urging of downtown merchants for off street parking. The Authority's working capitol was raised by issuing bonds.

1953

First parking lots

The Williamsport Parking Authority opened its first parking lots under the old Market Street Bridge, near Mulberry Street.

March 1964

More parking lots

By this time the Parking Authority operated lots on Pine Street with 69 parking spaces, Market Street North with 75 spaces, West Fourth Street with 72 spaces, Hepburn Street with 32 spaces, Market Street at Fifth Street with 23 spaces, Mulberry Street at the Pennsylvania Railroad, 17 spaces, Pine Street West with 35 spaces, Laurel and North Streets, 75, West Third Street, 46 spaces and the old Franklin School with 40.

December 1, 1966

Mid-Town Parking Deck

The New Mid-Town Parking Deck opens

March 24, 1982

Experimental free parking

A 90-day experiment with two hour free parking downtown begins

July 16, 1982

Permanent free parking

The new two hour free parking downtown is made ``permanent`` with a $10 fine for violation of the two hour parking.

August 20, 1994

No free parking

Two hour free parking in downtown Williamsport is discontinued

September 16, 1998

Seven story parking deck

Approval is given for the construction of a new seven story parking deck that will have about 500 parking spaces. The new deck will be located on the south side of West Third Street, across from the site of the new Trade and Transit Centre.

December 16, 1999

Trade and Transit Centre

The downtown parking deck is officially opened concurrently with the new Trade and Transit Centre. The new parking deck cost $13.2 million.

May 2, 2002

More green space

Williamsport City Council passes on first reading, 5-2, an ordinance that provides for more green space in downtown parking lots. This ordinance came at the request of the city's Shade Tree Commission.

May 16, 2002

Green space approval

Williamsport City Council formally approves an ordinance that requires an area of 51 feet by 9 feet of greenery such as hedges or trees be provided for every 18 parking slots.

January 30, 2007

Electronic parking meters

Transition to all electronic on and off street parking meters completed.

March 19, 2008

Website launched

The Williamsport Parking Authority website is officially launched.