Town officials on Tuesday will vote on a $50,000 contract to bring seven new parking machines to the business district, a much-needed upgrade that proponents say will improve dramatically the downtown experience for workers and visitors alike.
Parkeon Srada Pal Rapide model.
If approved by the Board of Selectmen, four of the new machines, from a Moorestown, N.J.-based company, would be installed at Morse Court and Park Street lots (two apiece), with single machines going to Locust Avenue, the Playhouse and Center School lots.
Stacy Miltenberg, interim superintendent of the New Canaan Parking Bureau, said her agency supports acquiring the solar-powered Parkeon Srada Pal Rapide model machines for reasons that will benefit both motorists and the town.
“They are going to be very user-friendly,” Miltenberg told NewCanaanite.com. “It’s going to be interactive where it will give you written instructions and graphics and on a 7-inch color screen. They are faster in how they connect [for credit card processing], and the company is on the east coast so we will have better support than we do now.”
The selectmen meeting starts at 9 a.m. The three-member board will vote on a $51,303 contract that includes a $315 monthly management fee.
The parking machines currently in place for lots with numbered spaces long have exasperated shoppers and diners in downtown New Canaan, as well as workers who are new to parking here. Town officials including First Selectman Rob Mallozzi responded to concerns about the machines by testing different models through the summer and finally landing on the Parkeon product.
Tucker Murphy, executive director of the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce, commended the first selectman’s office for its responsiveness.
“We know the current machines are a thorn in everybody’s side and they did not work with the effectiveness that we wanted them to, and we are happy that the town is taking action to replace them with better, more user-friendly models,” Murphy said.
She added: “We applaud the parking bureau and the first selectman’s office for recognizing that the current machines are an issue and for doing the research and making this a priority.”