04:31 PM PDT on Wednesday, July 5, 2006

By LEILANI WELCH, KGW Staff

Parking violators in Portland will soon have to pay more.

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The Multnomah County Circuit Court approved an increase in fines for a majority of parking violations. The overtime fine amount will increase from $16 to $24, which is still below the average of $34 for comparable cities, according to Dakota InyoSwan, spokesperson for City of Portland Office of Transportation.

Some safety violation fines will also increase from $40 to $50; others from $40 to $60 or $70.

The increases will take effect on Monday, July 17.

While the new fine amounts for safety violations are above the average, the increase is important to minimize violations, according to Portland Transportation officials.

It's the first time the Multnomah County Circuit Court has increased parking fines since March 2000.

The recommended fine increases were reviewed by several local organizations, said InyoSwan, including Portland State University, Small Business Advisory Council,Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee, Lloyd Transportation Management Association,Portland Pedestrian Advisory Committee and Bicycle Transportation Alliance.