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Trial period planned for new parking meter setup in Potsdam

Posted 9/18/19

BY CRAIG FREILICH North Country This Week POTSDAM -- A 90-day trial of a new parking meter setup will begin in about a month along one downtown Market Street block. IPS Group will place one of its …

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Trial period planned for new parking meter setup in Potsdam

Posted

BY CRAIG FREILICH
North Country This Week

POTSDAM -- A 90-day trial of a new parking meter setup will begin in about a month along one downtown Market Street block.

IPS Group will place one of its “smart parking” digital kiosks near the street for people to try. One kiosk will handle a street block of parking spaces by one of three possible methods. One is to insert coins or debit card, enter the parking space number, select how long you are paying for, and press OK. Another way is to “pay by plate,” by inserting payment, entering your plate number, select time, and press OK. The third is “pay and display” mode, where you insert your payment, take a ticket, and place that on your dashboard.

One advantage of a system like this, according to Village Administrator Greg Thompson, is being able to remove the current parking meters. “They are unsightly,” he said. “They don’t add to the beauty of our historic village.”

The system will save time and money by eliminating the need to empty coins from the old meters, counting the money up and depositing it. It will also make it a lot easier to maintain sidewalks, including snow cleanup. And it should be easier for drivers.

The license plate method might be the way to go, Thompson said, because village patrol cars will be getting plate readers and the meter system can send a message to patrols about overtime parkers, making it easier to issue tickets than if a foot patrol had to do it.

But it will depend on how the trial goes.

If installed, the rates will be the same, Thompson said: a nickel for 15 minutes, a dime for half an hour, and a quarter for an hour and 15 minutes.