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Presidents' Day is "P-Day" in the city. That's "P" as in "parking."

Stung by an epidemic of parking scofflaws Downtown, city officials will begin an enforcement crackdown on Feb. 16. Notices will be distributed to employers and stores in the central business district, said Bethany Budd Bauer, community development director.

"We want to encourage people to come Downtown, but we can't have people parking all over the place," she said.

On any typical weekday afternoon, cars are parked at expired meters, in traffic lanes, or left standing at yellow curbs and fire hydrants.

City officials say they want the parking problem straightened out before the reconstruction of Fifth Avenue begins later this year. And with the city recently forced to lay off 10 employees, every quarter helps municipal coffers.

Parking revenues are supposed to generate about $3,000 per week. This past Monday's collection was $475.

Compliance on Downtown streets is "a joke," Mayor Jim Brewster said. "If you ride down Fifth Avenue, you see every red flag up."

Parking in city lots or garages costs $1.50 all day, while metered parking generally runs 25 cents per hour. Few if any motorists are paying.

Brewster said failure of motorists to plug two bits into Downtown meters represents "a lack of respect" for the city. City officials also were embarrassed last month when someone stole 13 old-type parking meters in the 300 block of Fifth Avenue and are investigating more sophisticated electronic meters.

"When people say that McKeesport has declined, they need to look in the mirror," Brewster said. "It's a very serious thing, and I don't want to hear any whining from anybody."

Although parking revenues are far from the city's most important source of income, they do represent the salaries of two or more employees, he and others said.

Council President Regis McLaughlin said the city also needs to become stricter about collecting on parking tickets. Brewster said police are going to begin putting so-called "Denver boots" --- wheel immobilizers --- on the cars of scofflaws.

Besides lax enforcement, one problem may be a lack of signage. Officials admit that few motorists realize that they can pay for all-day parking --- with in and out privileges --- by stopping into the city treasurer's office. There are no attendants on duty at the Cox's Corner lot, for instance, and no signs explain parking regulations.

"We're going to get our arms around it and we're going to get this fixed," Brewster said.