Bangor’s new “Barnacle” parking enforcement device has been used a dozen times and helped the city recoup $2,500 in unpaid parking tickets, according to the company that manages the city’s parking.
The Barnacle is a trademarked device that clamps onto a car’s windshield with suction cups and obstructs the driver’s vision, essentially making it impossible — or very dangerous — to drive the car.
After sending out warning letters in August to people who had more than three unpaid tickets, the city started deploying the device in October, said Parke Clemons, area manager for PCI Municipal Services, the company contracted by the city to manage parking.
The first two months of use have shown that the device, which the city is renting from the New York-based manufacturer for $250 per month, was a worthy investment, according to Clemons. “It’s certainly paid for itself,” he said.
The revenue generated from the Barnacle came from 119 past due tickets, Clemons said, adding that some of the people who faced the Barnacle had between 20 and 30 outstanding parking tickets. Anyone with three or more unpaid tickets could have the device used on their vehicle, per city policy.
Clemons said the results of the new enforcement approach have exceeded his expectations and he’s happy with how smoothly the process is going.
“We’ve been pretty diligent about putting notices on people’s cars, if we can find it, before we actually Barnacle them,” he said.
That advance notice, which is an extra step on top of the letters sent out in the mail, means that most of the people whose cars have been immobilized by the device knew it was coming, Clemons said.
“The word’s out,” he said, adding that he hopes the new tool will lead more people to change their parking habits going forward.
In fact, Bangor already recouped $9,000 in July and August without having to deploy the Barnacle.
“A lot of the revenue came in before we actually even put that Barnacle on there. Just the threat of it got people in,” Clemons said.
At the beginning of September, the city was owed about $24,000 from people with three or more unpaid tickets — meaning there are still vehicles at risk of getting the Barnacle.
When the enforcement device is attached to a windshield, the driver will have to pay their overdue tickets and a $75 fee to get a code to remove it, a city official previously said. Clemons also confirmed that drivers have to pay a deposit in order to get the Barnacle off their vehicle, which is refunded after they return the device to the city’s parking office.
Bangor’s parking agency plans to continue using the device as needed, Clemons said.
Manchester, New Hampshire also started using the Barnacle earlier this year. It’s unclear whether any other cities in Maine are using it.
Drivers with outstanding parking tickets can pay them online or in person at the Pickering Square Parking Garage.