BRATTLEBORO-Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland admits there have been a few glitches as the system comes online.
"We have had a few stumbles with rolling out the new system," he told The Commons on Dec. 2.
Among the glitches: "A card reader in the Harmony Lot failed and needed an immediate replacement. That has been resolved. We believed that receipt paper would be included with new machines. On this, we were mistaken. Receipt paper has now been installed."
One of the new features of the municipal parking system is pay-by-plate, "designed to keep you moving towards your destination, which will improve the user experience in surface lots; no more backtracking to your car, as has been the case with pay-and-display," he said.
"On-street parking is a little different," Moreland conceded. "There is no longer a meter associated with every space. One will need to find out where the kiosks are situated."
New kiosks downtown are assigned zones:
• Zone 1: On the street
• Zone 2: Preston Lot
• Zone 3: Transportation Center
• Zone 4: Harmony Lot
• Zone 5: High-Grove Lot
• Zone 6: Harris Lot
• Zone 7: Depot Street Lot
Other highlights
As described in a news release, the parking policy changes include increased fines for violations, and they mark the end of free downtown parking on Sundays.
The fee for short-term parking options, including on-street parking and the Harmony and Preston lots, is now $1.50 per hour.
The fee for long-term parking options, including the Harris, High Grove, and Spring Street lots as well as the Transportation Center, is 55 cents per hour.
Brattleboro will continue to use the Park Smarter app, which is available on mobile devices from the Google Play Store for Android or Apple Store for iOS. Users will need to create an account at the login screen.
"The app is especially helpful for those who regularly park downtown," town officials note. "The new pay-by-text option is a faster alternative for visitors who would like to park quickly, without needing to download the app."
To pay by text message, text "Pay" to 77447. The town describes this method as "a faster alternative for visitors who would like to park quickly, without needing to download the app."
Moreland recommends that drivers using the Park Smarter app know which zone they wish to park in and type that into the app as one word without a space: for example, "Zone1" and not "Zone 1" for on-street parking.
"No one ever really likes change, but I believe that once folks get accustomed to the new system, they will like it better," Moreland said. "It will take a little getting used to."
For more information, including information about parking rates and maps of enforcement zones, visit brattleboro.gov/Parking.
This News item by Virginia Ray was written for The Commons.