Parking app coming to New Canaan
NEW CANAAN — Shoppers running out to feed the meters may soon be in the rearview mirror, since they will be able to update parking in town on their cell phones.
The Board of Selectmen agreed to sign a five year contract with PayByPhone Technologies for wireless applications to allow consumers in the village to update parking similar to in the commuter lots.
“I think the usage will be extremely high as it was at the train station,” Parking Director Stacy Miltenberg said at the Board of Selectman meeting Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Miltenberg recommended the new system “to enhance the payment process for parking in the short term lots,” she said.
“A lot of people, even pre-COVID, were asking for it because a lot of the surrounding towns have
this option available,” the parking director added.
“The economics of this I questioned,” First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said,
since the 30-cent fee on hourly parking makes it “30 cents on the dollar,” in contrast to a similar fee being added to $6-a-day parking in the commuter lots.
“On the other hand, people are arguing the convenience of it,” and people “would rather avoid a parking ticket,” the first selectman said.
The Parking Commission approved implementing PayByPhone on Thursday, Jan 7.
The new plan will also reduce the fee paid by commuters at the train lots to .30 cents from .35 cents, the same as the fee will be in town.
“Hopefully when we are up and running and things are to get back to normal with commuting, this will help the commuters as well,” the parking director said.
The contract requires a $250 minimum fee, “which we believe will be met by usage of the PayByPhone. It was always met at the train station lots,” Miltenberg said.
Selectman Kathleen Corbet asked if a “big percentage” of users started paying by phone at the train station when the system was implemented?
“The majority of people are using it at the train station,” Miltenberg said. “It is something I have been requesting for a while.”
“Obviously this a good thing for our residents, for our consumers,” Selectman Nick Williams said.
However, “this contract will not impede the Board of Selectmen at some point in the future declaring free parking throughout the town?” Williams asked.
“As you know, I personally am of the opinion that ultimately we should go to free parking in this town, not in the commuter lots, but the additional offsite parking lots,” he explained.
That was “one of the questions I had: If for some reason we want to terminate the contract, if there would be some fee to terminating. There is none,” Miltenberg said.
There should be a “walk away” clause in the contract, Williams, who is corporate attorney, said.
Administrative Officer Tucker Murphy said the contract was “read internally” and she agreed it was not clear.
“I do agree it wasn’t specifically spelled out,” Miltenberg said.
Williams suggested an attorney look at the contract and include a set amount of time the town will need to notify before terminating.
Moynihan said he would follow up on that.
Downtown business employees with permits for the Center and Locust lots are eligible for a new trial program in which parking permits will be renewed at no cost until June 30.
Metered parking fees in all commuter parking lots will continue to be suspended, because of the coronavirus pandemic, through March 31.