Pedagogía para niños(as) con autismo
V. 4 El trabajo en el aula
METER TECHNOLOGY
There are three viable options for the City regarding the upgrade of their existing meter system:
1. Upgrade to a multi-space meter system.
2. Upgrade to a single-space smart meter system.
3. Upgrade to a hybrid system of multi-space and single-space meters.
Each of these options will result in new and improved operational efficiencies, increased revenue, enhanced audit control and a more positive user experience.
Walker recommends implementing a hybrid parking meter system utilizing multi-space meters for all groupings of five parking spaces or greater; and single-space smart meters for groupings with four spaces or fewer.
While multi-space meters cost more to purchase and install than single-space meters with credit card acceptance, multi-space meters are more economical throughout the life of the system. Single-space meter manufacturers charge additional credit card transaction fees (in addition to the merchant fees charged by credit card providers). Over the useful life of the meters, these fees will exceed the initial purchase and implementation costs of multi-space meters. Multi-space meters are also less expensive to maintain and collect, based on the reduced number of meters (fewer meters to collect and maintain).
The public may prefer single-space meters, as they are accustomed to them, and people are typically resistant to change. However, a major benefit of multi-space meters is the ability to enforce pay-by-plate multi-space meters via mobile license plate recognition (LPR). This was discussed in detail on page 14 of this report and is discussed further below. It is tempting to recommend a 100% PbP system; however, the cost of one multi-space meter is hard to justify for parking areas with fewer than five spaces. For example, there are two isolated spaces adjacent to the library. It will be more economical to install two single-space smart meters (for $1,100), rather than one multi-space meter (for $8,500 plus signage). Note that enforcement staff will need to visually inspect the single-space meters for compliance.
Figure 10: Two Isolated Spaces at the Library
PAYMENT MODE AND ENFORCEMENT
Multi-space meters offer three parking meter modes: 1. Pay and display
2. Pay-by-space 3. Pay-by-plate
As stated above, Walker recommends implementing pay-by-plate. Pay and display requires that the motorist to return to their car after paying at the meter and pay-by- space requires that the City number and sign every parking space. Pay by plate requires neither, although motorists will be required to enter their license plate number at the meter. This will be an inconvenience at first, and will take some getting used to, but if pay- by-cell phone is also offered (recommended by Walker), the motorist need only register their plate one time. The enforcement benefit to the City is significant. Mobile license plate recognition enforcement is remarkably efficient. One vehicle should be able to cover the entire downtown area in fewer than 90 minutes.
Enforcement is currently done by six full-time staff persons. It is unlikely that they cover the entire downtown every 90 minutes. Walker recommends utilizing two officers in one vehicle for 6-12 months, during the initial ‘learning curve’. When enforcement staff is fully proficient in monitoring the system, one person should be able to enforce the entire downtown area within 90 minutes.
The City of Calgary has been using PbP and mobile LPR for four years. Calgary reduced their enforcement staff from 16 to 10 (38%) after implementing mobile LPR. The City of Vancouver uses a hybrid system of PbP and IPS single space-smart meters, and the City of Edmonton is currently trialing PbP with mobile LPR.
As stated previously, Calgary mails citations to violators. The City will need to determine if this is legal in Lethbridge, as it is legislated by province and/or municipality. The ability to mail citations rather than place them on vehicles is remarkably efficient and safer for enforcement staff and for the public, as it reduces the possibility of a negative exchange or altercation resulting from the issuance of the citation.
Enforcement staff will need to visually inspect the 69 single-space smart meters recommended for space groupings of fewer than five parking spaces. Walker assumes this will be done from the mobile LPR vehicle, as new smart meters utilize green and red LED lights to indicate paid and expired meters and should be viewable from the car. In addition to parking enforcement, mobile LPR will enable the City to monitor duration of stay and frequency, and will also be able to locate stolen, scofflaw or other significant vehicle license plates.
If and when snow covers a license plate, the LPR cameras will not be able to read the plate. Enforcement will need to be done manually, with enforcement personnel brushing the snow from the plate. Note that license plates do not become unreadable every time it snows, and some plates will become covered while others do not. There are multiple factors, including the shape of the car, the strength and direction of the wind, the location, the type and rate of snowfall, etc.
Another benefit of implementing PbP meters with LPR enforcement is the ability to use license plates as employee permits – as well as residential, business or monthly permits. This not only eliminates the need for paper, hang tag or decal permits, since the motorist already has the license plate; it also makes enforcement extremely efficient. Registration is typically done on-line, and can be done 24/7. Permit holders enter their own data, saving office staff time. Furthermore, the license plate is a regulated credential, providing a higher level of integrity and less opportunity for misuse or fraud.
IMPACT ON ENFORCEMENT
In general, better coverage should result in more citations. Mobile LPR also provides time- stamped images of the cited vehicle, confirming that the car was present at that time (for adjudication purposes). Providing photos with citations will reduce contested citations and aid in adjudication. Once the public learns that the enforcement technology (and coverage) has improved, meter compliance should skyrocket.
Credit card acceptance allows more people to pay the meter, and people typically purchase larger durations of time with credit cards, which will also increase meter compliance.
These factors suggest the potential for a reduction in citation revenue; however, the results vary widely from city to city, with no definitive correlation. Some cities report reductions in citations, some report increases, and some report no change. Following are some of the reasons cited:
• When hourly time limits are in effect more tickets are typically written for expired meters (overtime parking) rather than for failing to make an initial payment. Credit card acceptance has no impact on these citations.
• Most enforcement budgets do not allow for full city-wide coverage, and typically have capture rates below 20% (the % of meter violations that are actually cited). This suggests that enforcement will find violators even with increased compliance. • Some cities report a decrease in parking meter violations but an increase in other
parking violations with higher fines.
• Some cities report initial drops in citations, but that this is temporary (perhaps due to some of the above).
• Some cities report fewer contested citations due to greater meter uptime (fewer instances of broken meter claims).
• Some cities report fewer tickets being dismissed due to the availability of detailed transaction reports that may prove no payment was made at a particular meter at a particular time.
Even with foot patrols, if one enforcement officer walks at a pace of two miles per hour, and another walks at three miles per hour, the faster walker will cover more ground and should write more citations. Likewise, when enforcing on foot, staff should be provided efficient tools to enable them to enforce efficiently. This includes uniforms (seasonal) and foot wear (walking shoes), as well as communication devices and handheld enforcement devices. Walker recommends handheld devices with built-in cameras for foot patrols (in order to receive the adjudication benefits of LPR images).
METER QUANTITIES AND LOCATIONS
Walker reviewed the meter maps and the City’s ‘meter map' and meter inventory spreadsheets and counted a total of 1,941 on-street parking spaces. Twenty-one of these spaces are designated as permit parking, leaving a total of 1,920 spaces to be controlled by parking meters (1,524 currently metered and 396 time-restricted or unrestricted spaces).
Walker’s first choice is pay-by-plate multi-space meters, but they are viewed as cost- prohibitive for space groupings of fewer than five spaces. Therefore, Walker identified a total of 69 spaces in groupings of fewer than five spaces that will be controlled by 69 single-space smart meters. The remaining 1,851 spaces will be covered by 179 multi- space meters, for an average space to meter ratio of 10 to 1. The space to meter ratio is impacted by how far the motorist needs to walk to pay the meter. We need to take into account parallel vs. diagonal spaces, as well as any interruptions such as hydrants, driveways, laneways, loading zones and other interruptions in the parking layout. Please see Exhibit 3 for a street by street location map and analysis.
Figure 11: Parallel and Diagonal Parking in Lethbridge
TYPES OF PAYMENTS
Walker recommends accepting quarters, loonies, toonies and credit cards. Smaller coin denominations take more time to insert at the meter and take more time for the City to process. Accepting banknotes would add considerable expense and maintenance to the system, and with credit card acceptance, banknote acceptance is unnecessary. Smart cards are not recommended as this technology has been superseded by the acceptance of credit cards. The City should survey the retail community to determine if tokens are desired to be used as a validation or incentive.
Walker also recommends offering cell phone payments. Pay-by-cell (PbC) adds convenience and benefits for both the motorist and the City at minimal cost. Most PbC vendors will implement the program at no cost to the city, even providing signage and stickers. Even with minimal participation there is no down side; and this further addresses the best practice of offering multiple payment methods.
Note that IPS single-space smart meters offer the option of displaying (‘pushing’) the PbC time to their parking meters so that the public (and enforcement) can see the time displayed on the meter; however, Walker does not recommend this as there is a $0.10 per transaction ‘push’ fee, and a substantial drain on the meter battery.
METER RATES
In the Pratt report, the City cited 2nd Avenue, 3rd Avenue and 5th Street as ‘priority’ streets. Furthermore, 5th Street through 8th Street, and 3rd and 4th Avenue were reported as congested during interviews with City staff. These streets may be prime candidates for demand-based pricing, or raising the hourly parking rates on these streets, to encourage
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some people to park on neighboring streets and walk a block or two to save money. Others would be willing to pay the higher rates, which is the basis of demand based pricing. Some cars will stay and some cars will go, which will reduce congestion.
Walker recommends implementing a modified version of demand-based pricing. Currently there are individual meters with time limits ranging from 38 minutes to three hours on the same streets. Walker recommends simplifying the time limit in order to gain baseline demand data. Walker recommends that all parking between 3rd Street and 8th Street, and 2nd Avenue and 5th Avenue be designated as “three hour time limit”; however, Walker recommends implementing a graduated rate structure:
• $1.00 for the first hour.
• $2.00 for the second or third hour.
In order to offer an economical alternative, Walker recommends that all parking beyond this area (1st Street to 3rd Street, Stafford Street to 11th Street, 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue and 5th Avenue to 6th Avenue) be designated as “ten hour time limit”. Ten-hour meters should be located on less busy streets on the perimeter of Downtown.
• Increase the hourly rate from $0.45 to $0.50 per hour. This is a small increase (10%) for a very low hourly rate; however it will help to offset the cost of the new meter system, and will also make paying and collecting more efficient (fewer coins to insert will keep lines from forming at the meter and result in fewer coins to collect and process). It also makes a comparable equation: Pay $5.00 for three hours in the heart of downtown, or pay $5.00 for all-day and walk a few blocks.
• Offer parking permits at these meters for $50.00 per month. This represents a significant discount that should incentivize employees to park a little farther away in order to save money, and to open up closer spaces for customers.
The key to the success of demand-based pricing is advising motorists of the lower-priced options that are available in exchange for walking a block or two. It’s also important that the walking distance and the parking rates are the only variables. All of the parking spaces should be in clean, well lit, safe areas. The City doesn’t want to be seen as compromising anyone’s safety – particularly over parking fees.
This will simplify and maintain the 3-hour maximum in the downtown core, if people were willing to pay a small premium. Some motorists will pay the increased 2-hour and 3-hour rates in order to park on that particular block for more than one hour; however, some people will park off-street or farther away, where the hourly rate is lower. The result will be similar to the color-coded meters in that some spaces will turn over in one or two hours, but some spaces will not.
Walker understands that there may be specific needs and reasons for shorter time limits in front of some businesses, for example, a news stand or a take-out restaurant. These will need to be preserved or established on a case-by-case basis. Our experience is that
many of these shorter time limits were established with good intentions many years ago, but that the need or benefit no longer exists. For example, the business is no longer there. Walker recommends monitoring the parking occupancy with these new rates and time limits for six months to establish baseline data (the new meters and LPR system will provide the data). Once the new occupancy patterns are identified, continue to tweak the rates (and hours) until the ‘’sweet spot’’ is found: one or two open parking spaces on every block.
The monitoring of parking occupancy is a crucial component in establishing a successful long term management plan. The new meters and LPR system will provide the City with the tools it needs to measure performance and implement informed changes to the parking program.
METER HOURS
If there is parking congestion at night or on the weekends, Walker recommends extending meter hours. Eight of the thirteen cities surveyed operate meters until 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm; however, Montreal and Quebec operate until 9 pm, and Vancouver until 10 pm.
Seven of thirteen cities surveyed have extended paid parking to Saturdays. Three of them have paid parking on Sundays and Vancouver has paid parking every day – even on holidays.
The LPR system could be used to gather occupancy data to determine if paid parking is warranted on nights or during weekends.