CLEVELAND — Cleveland City Council announced on Friday plans to “modernize” the city’s parking meter system.
The city entered into a contract with Desman Design Management, which has developed the plans to revamp the city’s parking meter system. Part of the plan would call for an increase in meter fares. The proposal would increase the per-hour rate to $1.50 in downtown and $1 per hour outside of downtown.
As part of the modernization plan, the city would install traffic meters in some areas that currently do not have them.
In the first phase of the project, the city would convert meters in downtown, Ohio City and University Circle with multi-space credit card enabled pay station kiosks. The plan also proposes adding automatic license plate recognition enforcement, which would use cameras to capture digital images of license plates, then a computer to convert plate images into alphanumeric characters.
The city is proposing a pay-by-phone option in its second phase. Also included in the second phase would be converting meters in eight Cleveland neighborhoods to the new modernized kiosks. The city would add meters to areas that currently do not have them.
Desman Design Management expects the city would generate at least $500,000 per year in added revenue from the plan.
The proposal calls for new metered parking spots in the city; extending the two-hour parking limit; extending paid parking hours on Fridays and Saturdays; and eliminating “piggybacking” of unexpired meters.
The proposal comes with a $3.7 million price tag, but Desman Design Management expects the city would recoup its expenses within three or four years.
