By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Motorists are adapting to the week-old parking kiosks in City Lot 2, but they aren’t crazy about having to wait in a line as people figure out the new process.
Bowling Green officials are trying to make the change as painless as possible by responding to concerns. They have added more signage about the kiosk locations, have simplified the directions on the kiosk screens, and have made city employees available at the sites to answer questions.
“There has been a learning curve for the public and employees as well,” Municipal Administrator Lori Tretter said at Monday’s City Council meeting.
However, based on the lines forming at the kiosks, the city may have to make one more change – add another kiosk, which will cost the city $11,000.
Last week was the debut of the new parking kiosks in the city parking lots behind the first block of South Main Street, on the east side. Three kiosks took the place of the individual parking meters, and require motorists to punch in their license plate numbers as they pay.
The three kiosks are located behind SamB’s restaurant, at the parking entrance on East Wooster Street, and near the parking entrance on Clough Street. Large electronic signs have been erected in the lot to notify people of the changes.
Tretter said the ability to pay with credit cards at the kiosk has been a real hit with motorists. And if drivers input their cell phone number, they will be texted 10 minutes prior to their time expiring. They can then renew their parking time on their smart phones.
The city’s parking technicians will still patrol the parking lots, but now they will carry hand-held devices that will tell them which cars have expired time. That change means that motorists cannot back into or pull through parking spaces since a license plate must by visible to the parking technicians.
The rates and time limits for the lots haven’t changed. Those motorists wanting to park for up to 10 hours must use the part of the lot along South Prospect Street and must pay at the kiosk in that area.
According to the city, the benefits of changing over to kiosks include:
- Replacement parts are more difficult to find and are becoming more expensive for the outdated parking meters.
- Increased efficiency to clear the parking lot following snow storms.
- Reduced maintenance for special events such as the Black Swamp Arts Festival.
- Reduced maintenance costs associated with parking blocks, meter poles and meters.
- Keep newly repaved parking lot intact.
The three kiosks cost the city $37,000.
According to Assistant Municipal Administrator Joe Fawcett, this parking lot is just the first of six lots where city officials would like to change meters to kiosks. The city lots will be changed over as they need repaving. The next in line is the parking lot behind the Clazel.
