Please contact the City of Bellingham Parking Services office, 360-778-7780, parksmart@cob.org for questions not listed below.
1. What is a parking pay station?
Parking pay stations are automated parking meters that manage multiple
parking spaces in garages, parking lots, and on the street.
2. Why use automated pay stations?
This technology offers many advantages to both the customer and the City
including:
3. How will I find a pay station?
Typically two to four pay stations are placed on each block identified by a
“Pay Here” sign above each unit. Remember, you can pay
for, or extend, your parking at
any pay station.
4. How do I use the pay station?
Each unit has
step-by-step instructions to guide you through your
transaction. Just press any button to “wake” the unit from power save. Then
enter your space number and follow the prompts on the screen. You’ll see the
panel light up when the unit is ready to accept payment. Insert your payment
and collect your receipt from the cup below. Take your receipt with you to
remind you exactly what time your parking expires. Display of your receipt
in your car is not required.
5. How do I add time to my parking?
If your time has not expired, you can
add additional time by entering your
space number and selecting option 2, “Add Time” from the pay station menu.
Press enter, then key in your add time code from your receipt. Follow the
prompts and a new receipt will print showing your adjusted expiration time.
If your original time has expired, start a new parking transaction.
6. What types of payment are accepted?
In addition to U.S. coin and cash the pay stations accept debit and credit
cards. If paying with coin or cash, use exact change. In order to conserve
processing energy, the pay stations do not give change.
7. Why was the Civic Center chosen for the 2010 installation?
Currently, the only option for visitors to the Civic Center is two-hour,
on-street meters. Many visitors find it takes more than two hours to
complete their business. Motorists must either leave a meeting to “feed” the
meter or stay and risk being cited. The new pay stations will test a
variable rate schedule that allows extended stays at higher hourly rates.
8. Will free parking remain by City Hall and the Whatcom County
Courthouse?
Providing free parking does not support the City’s long-term goal of
reducing vehicle travel. Studies show the most effective way to encourage
vehicle travel is to provide free parking. Providing free spots adjacent to
paid parking encourages motorists to drive even more as they circle around
waiting for a free spot. As part of this installation, the free parking in
front of City Hall, at the east end of Lottie Street, and on the east side
of the Courthouse will be numbered and transition to paid parking, managed
by pay stations. The City maintains a few public spaces in the parking lot
directly north of (behind) City Hall and visitors to the Courthouse can use
the parking lot immediately south of the Courthouse when space is available.
9. Will it cost more to park?
Stays of two hours or less will continue to cost $.75 per hour. The City will
use this new technology to test a
variable rate schedule in the Civic
Center. After the initial 2 hours, the cost per hour will increase as the
length of stay increases. Motorists will have the option of staying in a
parking space all day for $15.00. Staff will closely monitor parking
behavior during the six-month test period to make sure the extended-stay
option is not negatively affecting parking turnover in the area. If there is
inadequate turnover to support area businesses, the units will be
reprogrammed to the standard rate schedule.
10. What hours do I have to pay?
Like the current meters, the Civic Center pay stations will be enforced
Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Parking on weekends,
evenings and holidays remains free.
Programmed rates will not accept payment when parking is free.
11. How do officers monitor the parking without a receipt on my vehicle?
When you enter your space number and pay to park, the data from your
transaction is immediately transmitted to a database stored on the Internet.
Enforcement officers download this file, either at the pay station or via
their handhelds, to view a list of the spaces paid or expired in real time.
12. If I pay for all day can I come and go?
The pay stations do not support in and out privileges. If you have paid for
the day and are unavoidably pulled away, posting the receipt on your dash
when you return may save you a citation. If you are cited, you may need to
schedule a hearing to formally
contest the citation
and explain your
circumstance to the judge.
13. Are disabled placards/plates still valid?
Yes, holders of disabled placards or plates can still park in spaces
controlled by pay stations without payment. Vehicles displaying valid
disabled hang tags or license plates can occupy on-street spaces at no
charge and without abiding by the posted time restrictions. Please note: the
city-wide prohibition against remaining parked in one spot in excess of 24
hours still applies.
14. What do I do if the pay station is inoperative?
Current pay stations are rarely inoperative. If the unit you are using seems
to be malfunctioning, any pay station in the area can accept your payment.
Enter your stall number and follow the prompts. If you continue to have
difficulties, contact Parking Services at 778-7780and staff will be happy to
assist you.
15. What if I paid to park but am mistakenly cited?
The error we see most frequently is that drivers enter the wrong space
number when they park. But your receipt provides proof of payment. Take your
receipt and citation to Parking Services in City Hall
immediately and if we can confirm the two match, Municipal Court should be able to void the
citation. If you cannot find your receipt, or your payment cannot be
confirmed, you may need to go to the Court to schedule a hearing to formally
contest the citation.
16. What will happen to the meters?
The 152 meters that currently manage the parking in the area will be removed
to make more room on the sidewalks for pedestrians. They will be returned to
inventory and stored for reuse in the next area that transitions to metered
parking.
17. Where will I park my bike when the meters are gone?
Where there is room, some of the old meter posts will remain and be
retrofitted with bicycle “rings” that fit right onto the post. This will add
bicycle parking without additional sidewalk drilling. Unfortunately, many of
the sidewalks in the Civic Center are too narrow to hold bicycles without
impeding pedestrian travel. Removing the meter posts will increase sidewalk
space dramatically without the time and expense of re-pouring the walks.
18. Did we try pay stations in the past?
The initial installation of pay stations in 2006 was plagued with bad
weather, equipment challenges and vandalism. Units were removed from the
street before the issues could be resolved. In contrast, pay stations
installed in the downtown Parkade at the same time stayed in place. Once the
issues were resolved, these stations have operated continuously with very
few interruptions. In 2008, pay stations were also successfully installed in
the 1100 block of Railroad to manage an off-street lot.
19. Are there plans to install pay stations in other areas?
Metering parking is the best way to ensure turn over in the
course of a day to serve the needs of multiple customers. As the
benefits of the system become more apparent, we expect
other areas will wish to offer customers the same level of convenience.
future installations will be planned as the budget allows.
20. How much will this cost and who is paying for it?
The $153,352 funding for the project is provided from the Parking
Enterprise Fund.
For additional information contact Parking Services at 360.778.7780 or submit your comments/questions via e-mail: parksmart@cob.org.
