BANGOR, Maine — Seeking to reassure residents that a proposal to charge for certain on-street parking spaces in downtown Bangor is not “a money grab,” Bangor City Councilor Gibran Graham proposed Friday regular assessments of downtown parking that could change the proposed $1-per-hour rate.
During a meeting of the Downtown Parking Advisory Committee, Graham proposed assessing the occupancy rate of downtown parking spaces each quarter once meters are installed to determine if prices are too high or too low.
Some other cities, he said, seek an occupancy rate of 85 percent. If the occupancy rate is below that, he said, it means prices are too high and are keeping motorists from using the spaces.
If the occupancy rate is above that, it means prices are too low and are not preventing those who live and work in the area from leaving their vehicles parked on the street all day, he said.
The goal, he said, is to free up spaces, ensuring that parking spaces are being used and that spaces are available for patrons of downtown businesses.
“Metered parking is for the solution of something and not a money grab,” he said. “I think letting people know that we’re looking for some kind of occupancy rate … would ease some concerns about what it is that’s happening.”
While details are not complete, the committee has recommended the use of 15 meter kiosks to charge $1 per hour for 179 on-street spaces downtown to stop the practice of “car shuffling,” in which those who work downtown avoid tickets by moving from space to space, leaving few spaces for the patrons of businesses.
Some committee members raised concern during Friday’s meeting that the possibility of changing parking costs could make the program confusing and less palatable for motorists.
“If people think or even hear that it’s going to be re-evaluated every three months … I think people will freak out,” said Molly Briggs of the Downtown Bangor Partnership. “I think it has to be something that’s easy for people to figure out and a known quantity.”
The committee also discussed Friday the possibility of shorter increments that would allow motorists to pay for either 30 minutes or 15 minutes of parking to address concerns that the program would be problematic for food retailers with a large take-out business.
Briggs said making motorists pay for a full hour when they only wanted to pick up their lunch could be a deterrent.
“It’s the concept that you paid for an hour and it cost you a dollar and you only needed 10 minutes,” she said.
Other discussions included the possibility of free short-term zones for pick-ups and loading, the means of payment that would be accepted at kiosks, and how motorists will show they paid for the spaces.
The committee asked staff to investigate every payment option possible, including cash, coins, smartphone, tokens and credit cards, with members saying they wanted the system to be as user friendly as possible.
Economic Development Officer Jason Bird recommended the city use a pay-by-plate system in which motorists denote they paid for the space by entering their license plate numbers at the kiosk instead of a system of receipts placed on dashboards.
That would eliminate ticketing problems in the event a motorist forgets to return to his or her vehicle to place the receipt or snow makes the receipt impossible to see. Compared to a pay-by-space system, it would sync with electronic chalking tablets already in use, making enforcement easier.
In the end, the committee made no recommendations, instead asking staff to investigate and return to the committee with the various options. Community and Economic Development Director Tanya Emery said they hope to have the final recommendation ready in time to include it in the fiscal 2016 budget.
City officials estimate startup costs for the system at $114,915, which they project they will make back in six to seven months. In the first year, they project a net revenue of $155,000 followed by an annual net revenue of $270,000 in the following years. That compares to a budgeted net loss of $77,000 currently.
City officials hope to use the projected revenue to pay for future parking structures and lots downtown, fearing there will eventually be too few spaces to meet the needs of the growing downtown area.
The committee recommendation leaves 748 free spaces in the outskirts of the downtown area.
Follow Evan Belanger on Twitter at @evanbelanger.