Earlier this week, New Times reported that parking fees were being enforced on NW Second Avenue in Wynwood, much to the surprise and dismay of local business owners. Today, the City of Miami Parking Authority apologized for ticketing cars parked on NW Second Avenue in Wynwood and promised to refund the cost of those tickets.
"No enforcement is [currently] going on, and the ticketing should not have happened," said Rolando Tapanes, the director of planning and development for the Parking Authority. "It was done in error."
See also: Parking Ticket Spree Along Wynwood's Main Corridor Has Business Owners Bristling
Tapanes said the error occurred when the City of Miami Police Department reached out to the Parking Authority about some illegal parking on the street -- a car allegedly parked on a sidewalk. When the parking enforcement officers arrived to check it out, they also began ticketing cars on NW Second Avenue for not paying for spots. They should not have done this because the area has not yet begun its parking program, according to Tapanes.
"We wish that the error with the enforcement hadn't happened," Tapanes said.
Visitors to Wynwood should still prepare to shell out for parking along the main drag; parking enforcement in the area is expected to begin in a few months. In the meantime, he said, the Parking Authority is in talks with Wynwood property owners.
But for now, Tapanes said, no one should be getting tickets for parking along NW Second Avenue -- and he's personally issuing refunds to anyone who received one.
If you received an $18 ticket on NW Second Avenue in Wynwood and would like a refund, you can email Rolando Tapanes directly at [email protected].
Send your story tips to Cultist at [email protected].
Follow Cultist on Facebook and Twitter @CultistMiami.
