Adecuación curricular para alumnos con Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA)
VI. 9 Propuestas concretas a necesidades para alumnos con TEA
Implementing a new type of parking meter is a major investment that must be effectively communicated to the public to ensure acceptance and success. A strong public relations plan is imperative to the successful implementation of the new meters.
Walker recommends the City launch a public relations campaign to introduce the new meter program. It would be beneficial to the City to discuss strategies of successful implementation with its selected vendor, as most vendors offer samples of informational fliers, brochures, etc.
Based on other cities’ experience and successful installations of new meter systems, the following list provides examples of communications activities prior to, during, and after installation:
• Issue a press release announcing plans for the new system, with a focus on the positives of added customer convenience.
• Conduct community outreach meetings with the stakeholders in advance of the rate change.
• Deploy a website with press releases, project updates, meter directions and “frequently asked questions and answers”.
• Display ‘sample’ meters in a public area for people to see, touch, and feel prior to beginning the installation.
• Carefully train all related staff on all aspects of the new meters so they can easily assist motorists and communicate a consistent message regarding the details of the program.
• Develop and distribute informational and instructional handouts (card and/or fliers) illustrating how to use the new meters.
• Develop a directional video for municipal television and or YouTube. • Issue a progress press release a few weeks prior to the initial installation.
• Conduct a ribbon-cutting and first-use ceremony to officially welcome the new meters.
• Utilize trained parking ambassadors to assist patrons with their use. Rotate ambassadors to new areas as meters are deployed.
• Issue a press release of the deployment of the new meters and areas scheduled for deployment.
• Provide citation warnings rather than fines for a short period of time following meter deployment.
• Design, publish, and distribute a downtown parking guide, including a downtown parking map and brochure describing the locations and availability of on-street and off-street parking, simplicity of access, rules and fees for parking for errand, short-term, and employee parking patrons.
• Establish an enhanced parking website and parking information program. An on- street parking website should be linked with City government and local websites. The municipal parking website should provide accurate and timely data of parking availability, rates and maps. The website may also be used to conduct an online interactive survey of the perceptions and concerns of citizens and stakeholders. The web site may be shared with off-street municipal and private parking operators, and/or with local retailers to defray the costs. Set-up costs are estimated at $10,000 to $20,000, or more, depending on the complexity of the site and number of pages.
SUMMARY OF IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Press releases and public awareness campaigns are key factors to a successful implementation program. Website and printed material focusing on how the meters work has proven to be effective, as have surveys to collect feedback from patrons. The focus should be on the added convenience of the credit card payment feature. Enforcement officers should go through training to assist patrons as the new meters are deployed, to avoid a negative reaction by the public.
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE
Walker estimates that it will take approximately 23 weeks to implement the new parking system, from the day the RFP is released to the ‘go live’ date. Some cities elect to go live in phases, as installation and testing is completed in different geographical areas. For the sake of this schedule, Walker assumes complete installation prior to going live.
Table 9: Implementation Schedule
Milestone # of Days
RFP Released 1
Press Release (concurrent)
Questions Due 13
Addendum/Answers to Questions 7
Bids due (31 Days) 10
Bid Analysis 14
Finalist Interviews 7
RFP Awarded (62 Days) 10
Contract Negotiations 21 Press Release (concurrent) Shipping/Coordination 49 Order Signage (concurrent) PR Campaign (concurrent)
Installation 25
Press Release (concurrent) Training/Acceptance Testing 5 Go Live (163 Days) 1 Total Days 163 Total Weeks 23.3 Total Months 5.4 SIGNAGE
Signage is a key component of multi-space meter installations. If there isn’t a meter adjacent to the parking space, motorists need to be told to pay for parking. Signage typically includes arrows pointing towards the meter, and a sign is typically located above the meter, with an arrow pointing down.
Figure 12: Multi-Space Meter Sign Samples
End Limit Pay to Park at location of box Mid-Block Reminder
Source: CPM, Chicago
ORGANIZATIONAL SETUP
The Lethbridge ‘parking department’ is fairly lean:
• Traffic and Parking Operations utilizes two full-time staff and contracts out for meter collections. They oversee maintenance, operations and revenue collection.
• Regulatory Services utilizes seven full-time staff, including contracting with the Corps of Commissionaires for meter enforcement by six full-time employees.
• Finance oversees revenue control and banking.
This is a good ‘balance of power’ regarding checks and balances. Multiple departments insure a better level of audit control than one department.
In order to maintain consistency and professionalism, Walker recommends creating job descriptions for each position.
Walker understands that one person is wholly responsible for meter maintenance. While this will become more manageable with the implementation of multi-space and single- space smart meters, Walker recommends training a back-up person in the event that the staff member is unavailable. It is a best practice to provide same-day meter maintenance, regardless of sick days, vacations, etc. Maintenance issues can adversely impact revenue; particularly if a multi-space meter is involved, as it covers multiple spaces.