Parking at any airport can be a hassle, and at Pittsburgh International Airport, some customers have been making a habit of taking handicapped spots without actually having handicapped parking placards.
The airport is trying to fix the problem, but some attorneys who specialize in discrimination law argue the proposed solution — which includes ending parking discounts for those with the placards — could be a misstep that potentially violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Before they start taking actions that adversely affect the disabled, they should be enforcing their existing parking regulations,” said Christine T. Elzer, a Pittsburgh-based lawyer who focuses on ADA law and offered her take on the situation.
Airport officials defended their efforts to try to resolve an issue that their customers raised.
PIT spokesman Bob Kerlik said the airport has been receiving feedback from travelers with physical needs who are having trouble finding accessible parking because of inappropriate use of handicapped spaces in the short-term parking lot.
“As a result, those travelers have had to park in non-accessible spots, or spots that are not handicap van accessible or provide enough space for car-to-wheelchair transfers,” he said.
“As short-term lot spaces are also filled first, some individuals with physical challenges have been forced to travel longer distances to the terminal.”
Beginning May 1, every patron will pay the same parking rates, including those with the disabled placards or plates required to park in handicapped lots, according to Mr. Kerlik.
Handicap parking had been available for a flat rate of $13 per day. Handicapped customers will now have to pay as much as $36 per day for short-term parking, a policy that some affected patrons have said is unfair.
The change has been posted to the airport’s website and parking booth attendants are also notifying customers, Mr. Kerlik said. He added that the new pricing “aligns with best practices across the industry and locally throughout the region,” since most other large venues do not offer handicap parking discounts.
Samuel J. Cordes, a Pittsburgh-based attorney who has over 30 years of experience in discrimination law, said the airport’s price increase may be a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
He said the decision to eliminate handicap pricing and make it equal to regular pricing is legal. But he questioned whether only raising the pricing for handicapped customers — and explicitly because of misuse by non-handicapped customers — is an ADA violation.
Mr. Cordes referred specifically to the text of 42 U.S. Code section 12182 of the ADA, which, in his words, says, “You can’t treat someone that’s disabled differently than you would a non-disabled person.”
Ms. Elzer added that the problem with the airport’s planned fix is its disproportionate impact on disabled people.
Mr. Kerlik said such assessments are a misunderstanding of the airport’s efforts, and noted that “most of our lots exceed the requirement for accessible parking by at least 30%.”
“Creating an environment that is welcoming for all is at the heart of everything we do,” he said, “and we have invested in our current and future terminals, going above and beyond all legal requirements.”
Several signs posted near the airport’s handicapped spaces warn that violators will be subject to towing and fines between $50 and $200. Allegheny County police spokesman Jim Madalinsky said in a statement that officers “routinely patrol all parking areas at Pittsburgh International Airport” and regularly respond to tips from passengers and staff.
“Anyone found to be in violation of parking regulations is ticketed accordingly,” he said.
Around noon on Friday, April 4, at least five cars parked in handicap spaces in the airport’s short-term lot — which sets aside about 75 handicap spaces as part of a total of about 2,100 spots — did not have visible placards or handicap identification. Those five vehicles did not have any visible tickets.
First Published: April 9, 2025, 4:26 p.m.
Updated: April 10, 2025, 4:02 p.m.
