CLEVELAND — The City of Cleveland has released a possible plan that would modernize its parking meter system and allow people to pay fees with credit cards.
The plan was put together by Desman Design Management and is under consideration by the city. The plan seeks to phase in the new meters across the city by replacing the old ones and introducing new ones in areas that are lacking.
The plan was introduced to the city back in July, but just released today for the public to view.
Cleveland City Councilman Kerry McCormack said he has asked for a council meeting for the city to discuss the new plan.
Happy Friday! After a protracted battle with the City to get the report, the plan to update Cleveland’s on street parking meters is now on Council’s website! I’ve asked for a council hearing on this plan. Soon those quarters will only be needed at ALDI! https://t.co/4GzDzh1r3F
— Kerry McCormack (@KerryMcCormack1) September 3, 2021
Phase one
Phase one will see the replacement of the single-space meters in Downtown, University Circle, Ohio City as well as the Central and Detroit-Shoreway neighborhoods. Units in those areas will be replaced with credit card pay station kiosks. Automatic license plate recognition and and pay-by-phone service is also proposed. Fees for Downtown will increase from $1 per hour to $1.50 hour.
The plan calls for the city to acquire 526 multi-space parking kiosks. Each kiosk will replace eight single-space meters.
The first phase also proposed a pay-by-phone system and an Automatic License Plate Recognition (APLR) enforcement system that will use cameras to take photos of license plates.
Phase two
For phase two, multi-space credit card pay kiosks will replace the single space meters in eight different neighborhoods including Buckeye-Shaker, Old Brooklyn and Tremont. Fees for those areas, outside of Downtown, will be increased to $1 per hour.
"Phase II must take into account the fact that the eventual implementation of the proposed neighborhood initiatives will have to be preceded by some yet to be defined measures to involve community organizations and their respective city council representatives," the plan said.
What's it cost?
The cost for the first phase is $2,164,550. The cost for phase two is 1,254,500. The plan states a three to four year return on investment is "not uncommon."
Additional details
According to the summary, the plan consists of parking industry best practices from other major metropolitan areas such as Detroit, Columbus, Indianapolis and Cincinnati.
The plan states the new meters will benefit the city by making the "public’s experience with on-street parking more customer friendly and convenient."
Here's a breakdown of what the plan calls for:
Recommended Procurement of System Hardware and Services:
1. Acquire approximately 526 Multi-Space Credit Card Enabled Pay Station Kiosks (use only one type and brand of smart meter hardware)
2. Retain an industry-leading “Pay-By-Phone” Service provider
3. Acquire and Equip 6 or more City parking vehicles with the necessary hardware and software (i.e. cameras, server, laptop and cellular connectivity) to perform mobile APLR Enforcement.
Recommended Programmatic and Regulatory Changes
1. Enact a system-wide Rate Increase for On-Street Parking (Limit New Rate Schedule to $1.00 and $1.50 Per hour) 2. Authorize the expansion of paid parking into some existing metered areas, and in some non-metered areas of the City
3. Authorize the establishment of “Pay-by-Phone Only” On-Street Parking Zones
4. Adopt and implement “Pay-by-Plate” as the basis for processing all pay-by-phone, and at meter, parking transactions.
5. Authorize the Division of Parking Facilities enforcement unit to issue parking violation citations in selected city-owned off-street parking facilities in neighborhood areas where the deployment of multi-space pay station kiosks are recommended for revenue collection.
6. Extend the hours for paid on-street parking and enforcement until 9:00 PM on Fridays in downtown and selected entertain areas in neighborhoods outside of downtown.
7. Require payment and enforcement of on-street parking meters on Saturdays in selected areas between 9:00 AM and 9:00PM (note: enforcement between 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM is also a practical labor cost saving alternative that could also be considered)
8. Enactment of legislation that would allow for the establishment of Special Event Parking Zones in the downtown area where fixed premium rates within the range of $10.00 to $25.00 could be charged within on-street parking zones during particular special event date(s) and timeframe(s).
9. Discontinue the current practice of issuing vehicles decal to Residential Parking Permitholders, and instead issue “Virtual Residential Parking Permits” keyed to the license of the permitholder’s vehicle.
The Recommended Modernization Plan Rationale
1. Make the public’s experience with on-street parking more customer friendly and convenient.
2. Eliminate the blighting impact of single space meter hardware collected and serviced within pedestrian right-of-way zones.
3. Reduce the expenditure of time and expense associated with the collection, maintenance, and service of single space meters.
4. Improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and consistency of parking enforcement
5. Reduce the expenditure of time and expense of managing the City’s existing Residential Permit Parking program 6. Enhance the ability of the Division of Parking Services to track and audit the financial performance of the on-street parking system.
7. Enhance the ability of the Division of Parking Services to monitor, manage, analyze, anticipate and respond to on-street parking related problems, needs and opportunities as they arise more intelligently.
8. Projected gains in annual system revenue generation can be expected to yield a 2- to 3-year Return of Investment (ROI) of required capital expenditures and sustain the fiscal solvency of the City’s onstreet parking system.
CLICK HERE to read the full plan summary.
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