How to Fight Parking Tickets in the City of Providence
Parking on sidewalk
In the City of Providence, it is illegal to park your vehicle on any portion of a sidewalk, regardless of whether you are blocking the entire path or just a small section. This regulation is strictly enforced to ensure safety and accessibility for pedestrians, particularly those using wheelchairs or strollers. You are liable for this ticket even if the vehicle is only partially overhanging the curb or is parked in a driveway that crosses the sidewalk.
Guide to Fighting City of Providence Parking on sidewalk
Navigating the narrow, historic streets of Providence can be a challenge for any driver. When parking is scarce, it is often tempting to pull up slightly onto the curb or leave your car at the end of a driveway that intersects with the pedestrian path. However, the City of Providence enforces sidewalk parking violations strictly. This isn't just about keeping the concrete clear; it is a matter of public safety and accessibility. When a vehicle blocks a sidewalk, it forces pedestrians, including children and those with mobility issues, into the street, creating a dangerous situation.
Because of the safety implications, the penalties for this violation are significantly higher than your average meter expiration ticket. The base fine for parking on the sidewalk in Providence is set at $102.00. While that sticker price is already steep, the real danger to your wallet comes from the aggressive late fee structure associated with city citations. Providence utilizes a tiered penalty system that punishes procrastination severely.
If you fail to pay the fine or enter a plea within 14 days of the violation date, the city doubles the fine. That means your $102.00 ticket instantly becomes a $204.00 debt. If you let it slide for another two weeks—reaching the 28-day mark—the fine triples from the original amount. Suddenly, a moment of bad parking costs you $306.00. This rapid escalation makes it critical to address the ticket immediately rather than tossing it in the glove box to deal with later.
When it comes to disputing these tickets, the burden of proof is heavy. To successfully contest a sidewalk violation, you generally need irrefutable evidence that your vehicle was not encroaching on the pedestrian right-of-way, such as time-stamped photos showing your tires and bumper clearly on the asphalt. Because these violations are often clear-cut, they are difficult to overturn without solid visual proof.
Currently, Busted does not support the dispute process for sidewalk violations in Providence. However, we are here to help you stop the financial bleeding before it gets worse. The most important step you can take is to settle the fine before those 14-day and 28-day deadlines hit. You can use the Busted web app to pay your citation securely and instantly. By handling the payment through our web platform, you ensure the transaction is recorded and your obligation to the city is fulfilled, saving you from the shock of a tripled fine down the road.
Late fee schedule
| Timing | Fee |
|---|---|
14-28 days In the event any of the foregoing stated fines are not paid or a plea of not guilty to the citation is entered prior to the fourteenth day after date of violation, said fines shall be doubled. | $204.00 |
After 28 days In the event any of the foregoing stated fines are not paid or a plea of not guilty to the citation is entered subsequent to the fourteenth day and prior to the twenty-eighth day after date of violations, said fines shall be tripled. | $306.00 |