Parking Upgrades: City to get New Multi-Space Meters
By: Kim Behrens
Updated: September 12, 2012
PEORIA--A new parking system will soon be popping up downtown.
Instead of depositing quarters into meters the old fashioned way, the city is looking to purchase new multi-space devices.
The new meters will give drivers a ticket to display in their window.
City leaders say it's all about convenience.
Travel Trends:
On most days parking lots near the new Peoria Riverfront Museum are packed.
The situation creates a guessing game for downtown workers like Nick Striegel.
"There's plenty of spots here probably before eight or nine in the morning, but after nine if we leave during lunch the lot's pretty full by that point," he explained.
Striegel works near the soon to open Caterpillar Visitors Center and the Riverfront Museum.
As more people come to see the big attractions he fears these spots will go even faster.
"Opening the museum is going to bring a lot of short term parking in the area and a lot of it will come into this lot unless there's other options," said Striegel.
That's why the city is hoping to solve the problem with new multi-space parking devices.
"We'd have one meter that would cover 10-12 spaces and that would allow people to get out of their car, go up to the meter pay, get a ticket and then you take that ticket to your car and put it in the windshield," explained City Manager Patrick Urich.
The machines will be located on Main, Water, and Liberty Streets, near the new museum and visitor's center.
The hope is drivers coming to town will keep to these roads, leaving lots and decks for long term stays.
"We're seeing more businesses that are coming into that area, so there's a larger demand for parking right now," said Urich.
Unlike current parking meters the first two hours are free.
Afterwards people must pay, but the machines will be set up to take money over the phone a feature one restaurant owner says is a good thing.
"Once the museum block opens people are going to be staying down here more than two hours. They're going to go to the museum, they're going to want to come and eat, and stroll down the riverfront," said Rhythm Kitchen owner Shelley Lenzini.
And when the new machines debut, leaders hopes more travelers will begin using technology they hope gives them a taste of new improved city travel.
The city wants to purchase 13 multi-space meters.
Each costs about $10,000 dollars a piece.
Leaders are currently in talks with a vendor willing to give them a six month free trial period.
It the machines are a success, the city could phase out its current meters.
