 Residents have criticized the Allentown Parking Authority for targeting low-income families living in "center city" Allentown by way of excessive fines and unnecessary meter parking.The Allentown Parking Authority has also been criticized for disrupting commerce in Allentown’s Downtown "shopping district" by way of overzealous ticketing during standard business hours and unnecessary meter parking.The Allentown Parking Authority has also been criticized for indirectly implementing a "Ticketing Quota" by way of budgeting its operations via revenue generated by ticketing vehicles

The Allentown Parking Authority has also been criticized for wasteful spending and flaunting its high-priced "Parking Enforcement Technology" while schools in the Allentown School District go under-funded

In December 2009 the site brokenladders.com called the Allentown Parking Authority a "Corrupt, Wasteful, Hypocritical, Nuisance" and launched a grassroots campaign to have the entity shut down.