Council Considers Changes To Parking Garage Rates

Candace Braun

Borough Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, February 24, to introduce an ordinance that will set the rates for the new parking garage and yield a discount for Smart Card users. Some promotional discounts will include free parking for the first half hour in the garage, and a charge of only 25 cents per hour during the first week of the garage opening.

Most of the rates for the garage will remain the same as they had been with the Park-and-Shop lot that previously occupied the site. Parking on Sundays and holidays will no longer be free, however, in order to offset the overall cost of the garage. A parking rate of 25 cents will be charged for every two hours parked on those days. Holidays include New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

The $13.7 million garage is part of the downtown redevelopment project. The 500-space facility is set to open on April 1, along with the new Princeton Public Library. Some of the costs to the Borough for the advanced technological features include $40,000 for new Smart-Card accessible parking meters throughout the Borough, and $3 for each Smart Card that is ordered by the Borough, which can be purchased in machines in both Borough Hall and the new garage.

Approximately 33 percent of the 1,200 parking meters in town have been replaced so that they are now Smart Card-accessible, and the Borough is working to complete the transition of new meters within the next few weeks.

Because the initial $3 cost of the Smart Cards will be absorbed by the Borough, Robert Bruschi, Borough administrator, suggested that the initial amount of money that patrons are required to put on Smart Cards be $20. Mr. Bruschi reported that this cost was suggested in case patrons considered the card disposable. The Borough is looking to have drivers use the card over and over again as a debit card.

While different discount options were explored by the Borough, Council members agreed upon patrons receiving a 10 percent bonus each time they put money on their card, regardless of the amount they add. Dollar amounts that can be added will range from $20 to $50, yielding parking credits of $22 and $55, respectively.

Rates at the garage between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. will be $1 each for the first consecutive three hours, and $1.50 per hour for every hour after that, with a possible total of $16.50 per day. From 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., the fare will be 25 cents for every two hours, with a possible total of $1.50 to park for the entire night, or $45 for a full 30 nights.

An added feature to the new garage will be two-way traffic on Spring Street, said Carl Peters, Borough engineer. However, from four to six parking meters may have to be removed on Spring Street to allow for traffic in a left turn lane, he said.

Councilwoman Wendy Benchley objected to the removal of so many meters, and suggested the Borough start by only removing a couple.

In addition, pavers will be installed in front of library windows to discourage skateboarders from riding in the new development area.

Currently the garage is scheduled to open on time, with a soft-opening for one to two weeks at the beginning of April.

Teri McIntire of Maya Marketing is working on the marketing and publicity for the new garage. Currently underway are an infomercial-educational training video on the operation of the garage, which will be aired locally prior to the opening, along with a garage update that will be posted on the Borough's website. Promotional programs are also scheduled to take place at Communiversity Day, on April 24, and during the new library's dedication celebration, set for May 15.

The public hearing for the ordinance on the new parking garage rates is scheduled for Tuesday, March 9.