SCHENECTADY Kiosks set to replace meters BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
Scrounging for quarters to pay Schenectady’s parking meters may soon be a thing of the past. The City Council plans to borrow $100,000 next year to rip out the downtown meters and replace them with kiosks that take both cash and cards. The kiosks would be similar to those used in big cities, including Philadelphia and Miami. There, one kiosk covers a block of parking spaces and prints out tickets to drivers showing how much time they’ve bought. The most advanced models send text messages to the driver’s cellphone when their time has almost expired. They can buy more minutes via cellphone to avoid getting a parking ticket or get credit back if they leave their space early. City officials told the council the kiosks would make plowing easier — the meters are often blocked by mounds of snow — and would cost less to operate if they were solar-powered. Council President Gary Mc-Carthy said the new system would also give the city more control over its parking while also making it easier for customers to stay downtown. “You can add minutes from a cellphone if you’re at a restaurant,” he said. “It would allow for better control, fl exibility — you could still allow two-hour free parking or eliminate it for periods of time when there’s demand.” The metered spots don’t allow free parking now, but drivers can park for free in the 10 downtown parking lots run by the Metroplex Development Authority. McCarthy envisions kiosks in those lots too, but Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen said the agency would try it in one lot before committing. “We’re receptive to the idea of a test in one of the smaller lots to see if it works,” he said. “We have looked at this idea to reduce our personnel costs.” All of the Metroplex lots are supervised. But the Metroplex board isn’t eager to get rid of that service, Gillen said. “We have no plans to move away from our staffed lots,” he said. “If the city does this, we could go back to our board... . There is interesting technology out there that would allow us to automate the lots. We have talked about that because of the opportunity to save on personnel costs.” ..........................>>>>..............................>>>>.....................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00903&AppName=1
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MobileTerminal
October 30, 2010, 6:47am
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You've gotta be kidding me. Instead of getting RID of the meters downtown and promoting businesses, this already in debt city wants to BORROW money to keep shoppers out. Classic Schenectady.
The metered spots don’t allow free parking now, but drivers can park for free in the 10 downtown parking lots run by the Metroplex Development Authority.
Privatize the damn parking lots!! Sell them. Put them on the tax roll! AND tear out the meters!!! If business is so damn good on Savage's 'miracle mile', than there should be offers coming in daily from people who want to buy these 'government owned'parking lots!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
How about NOT borrowing anymore money for asinine ideas regarding downtown!! Pouring money into a downtown when the businesses there aren't even paying taxes?! Schenectady can't keep spending money in an area where businesses are CREATING a tax burden for the rest of the homeowners!! If the City can find means to borrow money...borrow it to help the people who PAY THEIR TAXES!!!
How about this, make a Metroplex fee. All those businesses downtown who don't pay taxes, make them pay for all the new lighting, curbs, facades, repaved streets and other gifts given to them from our taxpayer dollars. Then have these businesses pay for new meters. If they want their customers to keep eating burritos, then let the businesses pay for the upgrade. As a taxpayer, I could care less about a for-profit business contending with the "hassle" posed by meters. I'm more concerned why a firestation is closing and why public safety is taking a back seat to big business.
Borrowing $100,000 for kiosks! Another idiotic idea from the DEMS morons ruining Schenectady. And this is reported in the rag as some great accomplishment. Free parking Downtown, sell all the Metrograft lots {which were cited in the State Comptroller's report as corruption mills}, fire every meter maid. This would save at least $500,000 and help Downtown businesses. In other news the DSIC announced a record $1.1 MILLION budget only $500,000 paid for by Downtown merchants. Guess who will pick up the remainder?
"We have no plans to move from our staffed lots" cried Death Ray. Of course not. Metrograft likes losing your money. Spread it around the Obama way! Never eliminate half the lob jobs SS Savage and ANG created. City/County DEMS are out of control.
[quote=891]How about NOT borrowing anymore money for asinine ideas regarding downtown!! Pouring money into a downtown when the businesses there aren't even paying taxes?! Schenectady can't keep spending money in an area where businesses are CREATING a tax burden for the rest of the homeowners!!
Right on! NO NEW BORROWING. CUT SPENDING. Eliminate the useless DSIC. If a business wants a new planter let them pay for it. Not only do they pay no taxes but they want the City sheeple taxpayers to fork MORE for ads, Art Night's and planters. This crap has to end. NOW!
The City wouldn't have to layoff ONE fire fighter if we had a 2 party system and someone said NO to the new $20 MILLION City garage. $500,000 a year in debt repayment on that white elephant. The fire fighters also need to wake up and stop supporting DEMS.
Savage must need to give money to her cronies, in some company that makes them.
But how about the city shoveling the mounds of snow? Proof POSITIVE that as more of our tax dollars go to the well heeled downtown, the necessary city services are reduced.....and THIS is what DV means when he says Schenectady is MUCH improved.
It's so nice to shop at malls and other shopping centers where one does not have to pay for parking, AND where there are stores in which you can actually buy something besides gin, popcorn, and the high prices for show tickets
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
I have been to a few communities that have these kiosks ... Northampton, Mass is one of them ... I found them to be inconvenient -- one has to walk down the block to the kiosk -- get a little parking ticket from the machine .. then walk back to your car to put in the window.
Since the current meters are not that old, I would recommend leaving them in place.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
I have been to a few communities that have these kiosks ... Northampton, Mass is one of them ... I found them to be inconvenient -- one has to walk down the block to the kiosk -- get a little parking ticket from the machine .. then walk back to your car to put in the window.
Since the current meters are not that old, I would recommend leaving them in place.
Apparently no one, including your own party listens to any of your recommendations.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
I found them to be inconvenient -- one has to walk down the block to the kiosk -- get a little parking ticket from the machine .. then walk back to your car to put in the window.
Since the current meters are not that old, I would recommend leaving them in place.
What dimwit will answer these issues? And will they need an 'agency' to handle all of these issues with taxpaid salaries and benefits????
WHAT TIMES ARE THE PARKING METERS/KIOSK IN EFFECT?
WHAT IF SOMEONE FINDS A PARKING SPOT DOWNTOWN WITH NO METER?
IF SOMEONE HAS A HANDICAPPED TAG CAN THEY PARK AT A METER OR SPACE WITHOUT PUTTING MONEY IN THE METER?
WHAT IF SOMEONE PARKED AT A BROKEN OR JAMMED METER/KIOSK THAT IS NOT WORKING?
HOW LONG CAN PEOPLE PARK AT A METER?
WHAT IF A PERSON OR COMPANY IS DOING CONSTRUCTION WORK? WHAT THEN?
IF SOMEONE WORKS IN THAT AREA, CAN THEY PAY WEEKLY/MONTHLY?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Now these DEM morons are comparing Schenectady to Philly/Miami in needing parking "kiosks". The Gazetto reports this as exciting news. This is got to be the most idiotic thing to come out of City Hall this week. Last week it was the $314,000 golf pro. The week before it was laying off 19 fire fighters while Mayor SOS increases his travel fund. The fiscal free fall of the City accelerates.
This is all about creating parking tickets while chasing out the few daytime customers. Elections have consequences and 35 years of straight DEM control of the City Council has devastating consequences.
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Borrowing $100,000 for kiosks! Another idiotic idea from the DEMS morons ruining Schenectady. And this is reported in the rag as some great accomplishment. Free parking Downtown, sell all the Metrograft lots {which were cited in the State Comptroller's report as corruption mills}, fire every meter maid. This would save at least $500,000 and help Downtown businesses. In other news the DSIC announced a record $1.1 MILLION budget only $500,000 paid for by Downtown merchants. Guess who will pick up the remainder? 
Right on! NO NEW BORROWING. CUT SPENDING. Eliminate the useless DSIC. If a business wants a new planter let them pay for it. Not only do they pay no taxes but they want the City sheeple taxpayers to fork MORE for ads, Art Night's and planters. This crap has to end. NOW!
