It just might mean more people are doing the things city officials say they want citizens to do -- using public transportation, carpooling, driving a little less and obeying city parking rules.

High gas prices have produced a historic decline in driving across America and in Wisconsin. If fewer cars are competing for parking spots Downtown, then fewer violations should occur.

The city expects to fall $500,000 short this year on its projection of $5.5 million in revenue from parking violations.

City records show officers are writing 20 percent fewer tickets through June, compared to the same period in each of the four years before 2007, when the first big drop in revenue occurred.

City budget crunchers predicted parking ticket revenue would rebound this year. Instead, it's still falling, adding to the city's budget hole.

Police leaders last week blamed staffing problems for the revenue shortfall. A couple of the parking enforcement division's more than two dozen officers were off the streets because of medical or disciplinary issues, city officials said.

That may explain some of the decline in tickets. Yet police acknowledge that another factor could be better compliance with parking rules.

No one knows for sure.

Whatever the reasons, betting on higher parking ticket revenue is a bad way to try to balance a city budget. The city's ultimate goal should be to improve compliance. That may hurt revenue in the long run. But it also could reduce the need for strict and expensive enforcement.

Madison has experimented in recent years with parking meters Downtown that accept credit and debit cards. Such meters, though expensive, make it easier for drivers to pay for parking if they don't happen to have a pocket full of change.

If the city uses more of these meters in the future, another drop in fines should be expected -- and celebrated -- because visitors won't have to worry about risking fat tickets when they only have a few coins.

One thing is clear for the coming city budget debate: The city shouldn't hire more parking enforcers just because revenue from fines is down. It should only hire more meter monitors if evidence suggests motorists are flouting the rules in higher numbers, making it harder for everyone else to get around and park Downtown.