Item A: Downtown Parking - Laserfiche WebLink

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Attachment E People complain more about Diamond Parking tickets than City tickets. Diamond’s delay in processing payments is frustrating. Why does City use Diamond, other options? People (some are elderly) don’t want to walk 2 blocks to come and eat; not enough street parking. Diamond process is huge headache. Use different approach, service ethic, more competitive rates. The parking attendant should lean hard in your (customers) direction. When someone walks up to pay the meter when it’s just run out, the meter person should stop writing the ticket and watch people put money in meter. Why does Diamond enforce 24 hours, night doesn’t make sense. Diamond: I buy monthly pass for US Bank Lot and assume I’ll get a spot. But no spaces actually available. First come first serve. Parcade is not safe. Progressive enforcement – 1st swipe $3.00, 2nd swipe $12 – would be more reasonable. Maybe people wouldn’t be so mad. Parallel parking doesn’t give as many spaces as angled. Availability of on street parking too limited. Tried free parking before, taxed building space. Caused competition problem with spaces outside downtown where parking isn’t free. If we have variety of services downtown people will be willing to pay to park and come downtown. Validating parking seems to work. Upgrade/update meters for variety of ways to pay (cash/credit card/etc.). Need to encourage downtown; getting a parking ticket is discouraging. Favor time limited spaces of various lengths (15 min., 30 min. and 90 min.) What about increasing handicap spaces to get more diversity of people downtown? People discouraged by perception of a lack of parking. Allocate a certain number of spots to each business. Employees of businesses use spots and feed meters is a problem. Could collect employee license plate #’s and screen for them. The idea of having downtown be “Welcoming” is important. Fine (tickets) not proportionate to how late you are. The later you are the more it should cost. (There could be a system that has the person pay with a credit card and if the person is late they system automatically draws/charges the credit card). The current system makes people feel like criminals. 2-hour spots appropriate for middle of nowhere. Close to businesses want turnover that matches businesses. Color code or indicate length of time or valet model (employees known, visitors self select type or parking desired, give credit card or other payment method to valet. Like a Red Hat combo for vehicles.) I can’t recommend to customers to park in the garages. What happened to cameras? Need more enforcement. In the Broadway and Pearl lot, next to Ambrosia owned/managed by Diamond the time measured is shorter than the amount of money put in the meter. This is a business ethics problem. The machine also doesn’t work in the rain. Lived downtown for 10 years, pay $150 in tickets for meters in front of building. There is a disconnect between perception of parking and reality (public/city). Enforcement is important. Seems like current system just evolved. Would like to see parking business plan with goals and then for City to create system. Portland – Smart Park, buy downtown get stamp and don’t have to pay. Incentives would be good.