Parking at West Hartford Center: When Are You Likely to Get a Ticket?

Parking tickets are the bane of most drivers’ existence, but new data show there’s a way to minimize your risk for getting one.

Pulling data from the West Hartford parking department, the Hartford Courant reported this week that if you’re shopping at the West Hartford Center, you’re far more likely to get a parking ticket if you park between 6 and 8 p.m. Since 2010, the town has issued more than 35,000 tickets during that time period, the Courant reported.

Officials say they’re not targeting the dinner crowd. Rather, folks might not be aware of the town’s extended meter parking. Unlike many cities, West Hartford doesn’t have free parking during the evenings and the weekend.

The fewest parking tickets are issued on Mondays, but that doesn’t mean not paying for parking on that day of the week will protect shoppers from getting fined. John Phillips, West Hartford’s director of public works, said Monday is the least-busy day of the week. Meter monitors focus on other responsibilities that day.

On Saturday, on the other hand, two monitors are responsible for checking meters. 

According to The Courant: "In the 2012-2013 fiscal year, parking meter revenue added up to $860,000; during the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, $772,000. Fines for all kinds of parking violations — from meters to parking in handicapped spots and overnight parking — have brought in as much as $800,000 a year."

The Courant has a chart showing the number of tickets issued each day at the shopping center.