Revenue up from new parking system

Revenue from parking increased by $74,196 this past year

An updated system has helped with parking enforcement and income toward funds for parking in Downingtown.

An updated system has helped with parking enforcement, as well as its income toward funds for parking in the borough.

Steven Plaugher, executive director and manager of the Downingtown Main Street Association, presented Downingtown Borough Council members on Wednesday with an update of the parking pay-stations which have been in use for just more than a year. Plaugher compared the income of a one-year period with the pay stations and a one-year period prior to when the new parking system was implemented.

“This is just a snapshot,” Plaugher said about the revenue, rather than the whole parking project.

The parking fees paid at the kiosk machines located in the east end of the borough, the west end and the train station were implemented in November 2015. From November 2015 to November 2016, the pay stations collected a total of $80,963. The parking lots that used the prior “drop box” collection system had a total revenue of $29,270 from November 2014 to November 2015.

With paid parking violations, parking permits and payments made at the pay stations, the borough had a revenue of $133,734 in 2015-16, while the revenue was $59,538 in 2014-15. Plaugher noted that the total difference in revenue is an increase of $74,196.

Borough officials, during public meetings in 2015, stated that the parking enforcement using a box collection prior to the kiosk machines were not effective and became hard to enforce.

The parking pay-station project, referred to as kiosks, began in June 2014. Downingtown Main Street Association members reviewed parking system options for the borough when asked by Borough Manager Steve Sullins, to help with enforcement. It worked. The council members noted that the amount of paid parking violations had increased, from $26,567 to $46,214. Downingtown Police Chief Howard Holland explained that they are using newer technology which allows people to pay tickets online. He said that they work with first-time users because people have made mistakes such as entering the wrong license plate when they pay at the machine for the parking spot.

Downingtown Mayor Josh Maxwell noted that the parking violation fees go toward a parking fund that can only be used for parking. The fund can be used toward maintenance of the machines, which borough officials noted could vary.

“It’s really cool to have that benefit,” Maxwell said.

Borough officials noted that two-hour free parking is still available on Lancaster Avenue, Wallace Avenue, Park Lane, Downing Avenue and Stuart Avenue spurs that run off of Lancaster Avenue.

Council members consented in January 2015 to spend more than $115,000 on the machines, funded from the current parking system and from parking tickets. The pay-stations were installed in November 2015 in eight locations, covering over 300 parking spaces.

When asked, Plaugher said that they are still considering an app that would enable people to pay for additional time at their parking spot. He said they are discussing the process which they hope to have established later this year, or in January 2018.

Holland noted that more people are taking the train, and parking at the lot. Plaugher said that Main Street and borough officials changed the cost of parking downtown to 25 cents per 30 minutes and the train station parking cost $1 per day.

“Nowhere in the world can you park at a train station for one dollar a day,” Plaugher said.

Council President Anthony “Chip” Gazzerro thanked Plaugher and the Main Street members for their efforts in making the parking project successful.