New parking meters would refuse nickels, dimes

Forget about carrying nickels and dimes around to pay for parking.

Forget about carrying nickels and dimes around to pay for parking.

City administration is recommending council spend another $146,632 from the city’s parking reserve on new meters that won’t accept any change under a quarter.

The recommendation was presented at last Tuesday’s standing committee meeting, with council set to vote on the recommendation at this Monday’s regular meeting.

The proposal comes after the city opted to increase parking meter rates this year to 25 cents for 15 minutes of parking (at the one-hour meters), 50 cents for a half-hour, $1 for an hour and $2 for two hours of parking (at the two-hour meters).

“Unfortunately, while some one-hour meters could be programmed for the new rates - not all the current one-hour and two-hour meters are able to be programmed; thus a purchase is required,“ reads an administrative report bylaw manager John Taylor presented to council Tuesday night.

The city had initially budgeted $70,000 for the new meters. The city has 577 meters downtown.

“The reason the cost is double is that the units cannot all be re-programmed; plus, from a maintenance perspective, the older units are becoming more of a maintenance concern and will eventually all have to be replaced,“ reads the report.

It’s expected the city would eventually get its money spent on the meters back in 1 1/2 years compared to the eight months that were originally estimated.

The new parking rates would likely take effect by July 21 after the new meters would be installed with an advertising campaign to inform residents of the changes by July 14.

It will take about eight weeks for the new meters to arrive after they’re ordered.

City management had also considered recommending pay stations instead of meters. With pay stations, drivers park, then go to the station and pay the parking rate for a printed ticket that’s placed on their dashboard.

Last year, the city had allocated money in the budget for a pay station on First Avenue that would serve as a test over a few years.

Although First Avenue was reconstructed to accommodate the pay station, the initiative never went ahead, with the funding lapsing in the current budget.

“Notwithstanding all the construction parameters, in the final analysis, the program did not proceed on time due to the city trying to work out all the details with the proposed supplier in terms of the installation and, more importantly, the time and training requirements of city staff,“ reads the report.

Along with the $16,500 it would cost for a pay station, there would also be costs of $1,500 for trainers to come to Whitehorse and instruct city staff on the new pay system; $1,000 for assistance and training from the supplier to install the pay station; $1,000 for the outdoor sign package and $84 each month for the administration rate.

“The purchase and miscellaneous expenses for one pay station is $20,000 and the total cost with all the necessary electrical and concrete work for

Main Street and adjacent areas alone would be in the order of $200,000 to $250,000,“ the report to council reads.

“Pay station costs will have to include the cost to supply and install underground power and telephone to each pay station.“

Rather than having to do work on old streets for pay stations, the city will likely test the systems at new areas being developed along First Avenue, the former Motorways trucking site downtown and the riverfront, though that would also require council approval.

“Further work is needed with respect to the location and time lines for pay stations before a pay station recommendation can be made,“ reads the report.

As for now, council will vote on funding the new meters downtown.