Ordinance for parking meter pilot fails

A Cincinnati ordinance that would have dedicated $2.15 million in capital parking funds for a pilot program that would have brought new parking meters to parts of Downtown, Uptown, and various neighborhood business districts failed by a 5-4 vote at City Council's meeting last Wednesday.

Councilmembers Jeff Berding, Chris Bortz, Leslie Ghiz, Amy Murray and Charlie Winburn voted against the measure, which would have used a fund surplus to contract with CALE Parking Systems USA, Inc. for 200 multiple-space and 500 single-space parking meters.

The program also would have included one year of on-site maintenance and informational brochures on how to use the new system. Removed meters would have been moved to some of the City's neighborhood business districts, replacing older meters.

None of the councilmembers were available for comment.

The meters were recommended as part of a strategic parking plan prepared by Walker Parking Consultants, which was hired to address the City's increased parking needs, future shortages in the parking fund, and the inefficiency of the City's current parking system.

The new meters touted several benefits, including the ability to accept credit cards, "pay and display" printed receipts, low maintenance costs, real-time revenue analysis, ease of programming for special event rates, coordination with streetcar program ticketing, the use of solar power, and increased sidewalk space for pedestrians.

Previous reading on BC:
$2.15M from parking fund requested for multiple-space meter pilot program (3/15/11)
Seventh Street Garage to be replaced (2/1/11)
New parking facilities required to provide bicycle parking (5/24/10)
Cincinnati passes ordinances for P&G parking (11/2/09)
Ordinances, COA needed for Downtown garage expansion (10/20/09)