June 15, 2026
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
The PPA began enforcing parking restrictions around Lemon Hill last week during the World Cup. The photo above is a file image.
Last month, the Philadelphia Parking Authority said it would only allow residents of surrounding neighborhoods to park near Lemon Hill, the site of the FIFA Fan Festival. But some people who live in Fairmount say they've been unfairly penalized since the start of the World Cup.
To distinguish between cars owned by residents and tourists, the PPA had asked drivers living in parts of Fairmount, Brewerytown and Spring Garden to obtain temporary parking permits online or at the agency's permit office. All unregistered vehicles in the area — a zigzagging zone that starts at Cecil B. Moore Avenue and spans as far south as the Rodin Museum — would be ticketed and/or towed from June 11 through July 19.
According to multiple posts in public and private social media channels, Fairmount residents who properly registered their vehicles have received parking tickets anyway. In most cases, they say, parking officials could not locate their cars in the PPA system, despite those drivers receiving confirmation of their registration.
"What we’re being told is that the applications of those who registered early were completed but then archived such that they are not showing up in the system," a Facebook user commented on a Philly ChitChat post about the situation. "It’s a mess and frankly it’s not surprising given that it’s the PPA."
On Reddit, another resident recalled receiving a ticket on Girard Avenue between 19th and 20th streets. When they called the PPA about the citation, they wrote, a representative said they should not have been ticketed.
A PPA spokesperson confirmed Monday that they had received complaints about improper ticketing and were taking steps to correct it.
"The PPA utilizes a daily internal accuracy control mechanism that identifies and cancels any FanFest Enforcement Zone ticket written in error for vehicles with valid RPP or Lemon Hill permits," the spokesperson said. "Owners ticketed in error will receive a cancellation notice by mail. Any vehicle towed in error will also have its violation canceled and all fees refunded. The PPA apologizes for any inconvenience."
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