Below are the questions sent to Standard Parking about the new parking rules and regulations in Harrisburg. These questions were generated by a PennLive live “Q&A with tla” chat on Monday, January 27th. Standard has agreed to provide written answers to these questions.
The questions are divided into “Answers” and “Explanations,” with the idea that “Answers” yield black and white responses but “Explanations” require more extensive responses.
1) Who is the manager?
2) What is the current count of meters throughout the city and the total revenue?
3) What’s the jurisdiction of Standard Parking in the city?
4) What are the fee/fine rates?
5) Garage info—rates, hours, details?
6) How many handicapped parking spots are there? Are they located on the first floor of each garage?
7) Who gets the money from enforcement?
8) Does the city still give tickets? If so, what’s the city’s jurisdiction?
9) Who is the Advisory Committee?
10) How many new meters are being installed?
11) When to the new rates and hours begin?
12) Can you receive a violation if a meter is not working?
13) Does Standard plan on repainting parking lines for spots where there are none?
14) Why does the entity leasing the garages have a different holiday schedule than the asset itself?
15) Where exactly in Midtown will the additional 88 parking meters be placed?
16) How long is the lease?
17) What happens when the lease expires? Are their renewal options?
18) Is the city able to build its own garage in the future if it wanted to?
1) While some of these changes may be gradual, what are the possible discounts and promotions Standard Parking will do during the periods of transition? In other words, what’s negotiable?
2) Who negotiates? What are the mechanisms and processes for public input?
3) How does Standard Parking plan to work with Harrisburg businesses? What what’s negotiable? What’s possible?
4) Please explain the concept of validated parking. What are the possibilities? How would each one work?
5) Will there be options for abbreviated garage parking fees for Downtown workers; people who need to use City Hall such as City Council meetings; commuters who use the train?
6) Currently, the garages have different closing hours. For example, Locust Street Garage closes at 7pm. If Standard wants people to park in garages versus meters, will they extend these garage hours?
7) What’s the plan and timeline for upgraded technology for all extant meters?
8) Based on the new technology—those meters that won’t take cash—what about Harrisburg residents who do not have credit or debit cards?
9) Harrisburg wants to develop its arts, heritage, and culture in order to pull in more visitors and tourists. How do you think metered enforcement on Saturday will affect this initiative? What’s the analysis on this?
10) Just like the above question, what’s the plan for paid parking on City Island? What will the hours of enforcement be? Will there still be free parking? What is the analysis on how this will affect Harrisburg’s visitor and tourism development?
11) What infrastructure improvements are planned for the garages? Who’s responsibility is that?
12) Will the Commonwealth return the assets to the city in equal or better shape than received?
13) Are there revenue guarantees by the city that we would have to pay Standard?
14) How was the market rate for garages determined?
15) Can the City walk away at the end of the lease with no obligation to anyone?
16) What are your concerns/worse case scenarios about the new parking means for Harrisburg? What’s the probability?