21 replies to this topic

[Fireflies]

Received a parking ticket today. Any advice on where to pay or not. Visitor from South Dakota.

[Mainecoons]

Was that for parking in the new metered area? I wondered how that was going, figured the gangbangers there would have busted the machines up by now or covered them with so much graffiti they wouldn't work.

[Atlas]

In Chapala just north of the plaza the first street going right is Degollado. Follow until you see the sign for the Recordadora on your right near the end. If you have a rental car then I'd probably ignore it. If you're one of the many visitors here from S. Dakota you could ignore it, but why not just pay it, it'll be tiny.

[Fireflies]

Happened in the new metered area down by the lake.

[canmex87]

Happened in the new metered area down by the lake.

How much was it?

[Mainecoons]

What are the hours on that pay parking? All the time??

On edit, the article below answers this question: 8AM to 10PM.

[Malaya]

Happened in the new metered area down by the lake.

If you have out of country plates don't worry about it.

[Stan]

You violated the law and were caught. Despite advice to the contrary, be an adult and pay the fine.

[RVGRINGO]

I'm not certain, but the ticket you received may be a Chapala ticket, rather than a transito (state) ticket. If so, you might have to pay it at the Palacio Municipal, instead of the office of the Recaudadora on Degollado. If you have back issues, the Guadalajara Reporter had an article on the new system, just a few weeks ago. You could also ask at the information booth in the Palacio Municipal.

[Mainecoons]

OK, I found the article that RV is referring to. It isn't clear where the fine is paid but it does look like this is a Chapala matter as opposed to a transito (state) matter. So I'd start with the Palacio Municipal. Note the last line of this article.

With thanks to the Guadalajara Reporter!

Chapala is starting to phase in controlled, paid parking in the downtown area, starting with the entire stretch of Paseo Ramon Corona situated between Madero and Gonzalez Gallo.


nstructions for the new parking meters are clearly explained in Spanish and English.
Approximately 300 diagonal and parallel parking spaces have been marked with white paint since the first of this month, at the same time ten electronic metering devices were installed at points along the thoroughfare.

Four machines are located on the sidewalk along the north side of the street, two more are set on the opposite walkway, and another four are spaced along the lower lateral road.
Although payment of parking fees has not been obligatory to date, the metered scheme is set to take effect as of Monday, January 2, operating on a seven day per week schedule from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.. The rate runs at six pesos per hour, with a minimum of two pesos required for the first 20 minutes, and one hour increments permissible up to six hours.
The electronic meters accept one-, two-, five- and ten-peso coins and do not dispense change. Once the user drops in the coins and pushes the green okay button, the device emits a paper receipt showing the date, expiration time, amount and time of deposit. The driver then places the ticket at a visible spot on the vehicle’s dashboard. Additional coins may be dropped in at a later hour to extend the time.
Operating instructions in both Spanish and English are clearly displayed on the front side of each meter. The user may pay at any one of the meters, although most can be expected to choose the one closest to the selected parking spot.
City hall staff and merchants who do business in the vicinity of regulated parking zones will have to shell out for parking at the same rate as everyone else. Only immediate residents will be issued special permits exempting them from payment.
The paid parking system will be gradually extended to cover Avenida Madero and adjacent streets in the heart of the downtown area.
The meter system is owned and operated by Comers, a private enterprise, under a 15-year contract with the municipal government. It will be regulated under the terms of Chapala’s public parking ordinance, approved by the city council last September. Authorized inspectors will be assigned to keep tabs on parked cars, issue citations for fines and immobilize ticketed vehicles with mechanical boots to insure payment.
Comers is absorbing the cost of the equipment, its installation and management, sharing proceeds with the city. The municipal government will gain ten percent of net parking fees over the first year, with small annual increments projected to rise up to 20 percent. The city will also receive 50 percent of the fines applied to motorists who fail to pay or exceed the permitted time.
According to Chapala legal department chief Gabriel Meza, the program is designed to generate profits that can be applied to specific improvement projects in the city’s prime tourist zone.
In addition to some extra revenue for city hall, a major advantage of paid parking will be greater availability of well-defined parking spaces for visitors and business clients, due to increased mobility of vehicular traffic. That is expected to translate into economic benefits for the private business and tourist service sectors.
In tandem with the parking meter project is the installation of video surveillance cameras that will be useful to detect damages caused by fender benders, deter vandalism and aid the local police department in guarding the public from criminal activities.

Comers executives are currently working with city officials to hash out the details, including a plan to establish a deal with convenience stores chains to facilitate the collection of fines.

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[jnc]

Received a parking ticket today. Any advice on where to pay or not. Visitor from South Dakota.

No kidding! From So. Dakota? Have you noticed from the license plates how many of your fellow So. Dakotans live down here? Probably more than live in So. Dakota itself (lol).

[artsnob]

I am from Chicago, South Dakota and I am wondering how many weekenders from GDL who get tickets are paying them

[Ginger]

What difference does that make?

[RVGRINGO]

I would pay up. There will be fines for unpaid tickets, when you are found, and the possibility of your car being "immobilized". Of course, I'm assuming that you may possibly drive in Chapala again.

[Mainecoons]

I was down there to pay property tax this morning. All the streets off the Malecon jammed with cars even at 9:30AM. The metered parking was deserted and I do mean deserted. Never have seen it like that. Looks like all they've done thus far is push parkers north. So now they're going to have to move the metered parking north too.

It will be interesting to see what impact this has on the restaurants and the businesses along the lake.

Agree with RV and it would be nice if they'd make it clear and convenient as to where the fines are to be paid.

[Intercasa]

Parking fines from transitos are paid at the recaudadora and if you don't pay not with a discount they will tack it onto your vehicle registration for Jalisco plated cars.

[grc]

Having used the meters, we found it easy to do so. It was also "cheap". We overpaid just so we wouldn't run out of minutes. And an above posting is correct about the parking. We had no problem getting a parking spot close to the main street ... no car washing people around either. Just paid our few pesos for 2 hours of time.

Carol

Parking tickets in my last residence in Vermont were $5.00 each time.

[SunLight]

My son read the back of the ticket and it said to pay the ticket at the municipal building in Chapala. I hope they enjoy their 200 pesos because I'll never go back, I'll never spend another nickel (peso) on one of their vendors, never buy another hat, donate pesos to the little kids, buy candy or anything else. I don't need that kind of a welcome. I can do without the whole thing. If they really think they're the only show in town, think again. It's anti-business all the way.

[tomgates]

That is an overeraction. It is just a parking ticket, obtained in ignorance of the rules, just as I did. One less parker in my book.

[johanson]

My son read the back of the ticket and it said to pay the ticket at the municipal building in Chapala. I hope they enjoy their 200 pesos because I'll never go back, I'll never spend another nickel (peso) on one of their vendors, never buy another hat, donate pesos to the little kids, buy candy or anything else. I don't need that kind of a welcome. I can do without the whole thing. If they really think they're the only show in town, think again. It's anti-business all the way.

I want to know why your son had to read the ticket, and not you. And I would also like to know why you target your anger on not the government, but the common folk who are just trying to make an honest living.

I wish you the best adjusting to Mexico. Oh where I live when up North the parking tickets cost about 650 pesos in front of my Seattle Condo. When the folks get caught, I hear them saying Dam* I got caught, but I have never heard them saying, I will never come back and support the local businesses, rather they are mad at Seattle City Hall.

Again I wish you the best. And hope you never get another ticket.