06/01/2026
If you've spent enough time in West Chester, you've probably had a parking complaint at some point.
I know I have.
In fact, I was getting parking tickets here long before apps, kiosks, or smartphones existed. Parking has been a challenge in the borough for as long as I can remember.
The easy answer is to say we need more parking. The difficult part is figuring out where that parking goes in a historic and densely developed downtown.
What I think deserves more attention is making the existing system easier to understand and use. Many people, especially older residents and visitors, still expect to see traditional parking meters. When they don't, they often assume parking is free or unrestricted and end up getting a ticket because they weren't aware of the app-based system.
The borough has been discussing parking quite a bit recently, and from what I've heard, there are efforts underway to improve the experience.
It's an important issue because parking affects both the people who live here and the people who come here to enjoy everything West Chester has to offer.
Let's see where the conversation goes.