Little Consensus Reached on Downtown Parking Dilemmas

 recommends a maximum two-hour limit be imposed on all Downtown metered street parking.

But nearly everyone who attended a public discussion on the subject Tuesday evening seems to agree that time limit is probably too short.

That may be the only thing they agree on, as about 20 members of the Easton community voiced their concerns about and rules, including:

• The elimination of free street parking on Sundays.
• The reduction of the hourly rate in the city's parking deck to encourage more to park there instead of city streets.
• An increase that might double the current rate for metered street parking.
• Changing the enforcement hours for meters, so they'd run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., rather than 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

That last change would please Randi Delvecchio, owner of on Northampton Street.

“People are getting tickets roaming around looking for quarters,” she said. “If you're going to start them that early, you need a way for them to get quarters.”

She added that enforcement at metered parking is sometime inconsistent and overaggressive, with some drivers never being ticketed while they quickly run in and out of a store, while clearly marked delivery vehicles get fined, even though they have their flashers on while dropping off goods.

Andrew Gerns, of on Spring Garden Street, is most worried about the addition of metered parking on Sundays. He said many parishioners stay and shop after church services, which often don't end until after the possible noon enforcement time.

“There would be some unintended consequences if paid parking were to be required on Sundays,” Gerns said.

Elizabeth Campbell also worried about Sunday parking.

“About Sundays, it's just wrong,” Campbell said. “To charge, we're just discouraging people from coming Downtown.”

Resident and business owner Laini Abraham said enforcement of expired meters can be overzealous.

“People are not out trying to hurt people—they're out trying to buy things,” she said, adding that while she doesn't like the idea of some business owners and employees taking up street parking, there is no law against it. “If businesses want to be stupid, let them. The problem is not the amount of parking, it's the amount of tickets.”

City administrator Glenn Steckman disagreed, saying there are other benefits to parking enforcement officers being on the streets.

“It's ensuring officers are patrolling,” Steckman said. “It's encouraging people to move for other people who want to shop...There is a financial impact on every business in town.”

Steckmann added the revenue is needed by the city to pay for things like smart meters and the city's garage upgrades.

“We need to raise the rates to pay for this technology,” Steckmann said.

Councilwoman El Warner said she feels the city might do without parking meters at all, and perhaps enforce a time limit on street parking instead.

“We don't need all this technology—we just need chalk,” Warner said to a burst of audience applause.

Salon owners and employees agreed that the time limit needs to be more than Desman's recommended two hours, and suggested it be a minimum of three.

Lisa Patino, owner of on South Second Street, said that aggressive enforcement hurts her business, and that the street parking should allow for at least three hours.

“We try to do everything we can. We keep a bowl of quarters. Move their cars? How are we going to do that?”  Patino asked. “It's kind of hurtful to me. We've been here since (Easton) was a ghost town.”

She added that many of her clients come a long distance and stay all day due to the amount of services her salon offers, but she likes the idea of later meter hours.

Resident Curt Ehly said he feels the city lacks a plan to deal with parking, and that he's upset with the way it's dealing with the issue.

“It feels like, and I'm not alone, we're being trained to a specific behavior,” Ehly said. “That we're being treated almost like children.”

Mayor Sal Panto said the parking study is intended to help the city create such a plan.

“This was done to create a parking system. We don't have a system. We don't manage this like a business,” the mayor said.

Megan McBride, assistant manager of the city's Main Street program said she'd like to see the city focus more on positive solutions to the city's parking issues.

“I think there needs to be more emphasis on people that are trying to come to town and spend their money,” McBride said. “There's a punitive atmosphere Downtown. It's not something that makes me or anyone want to shop Downtown. We can't afford to lose anybody over something we can change. We don't need smart meters. We're not New York City. We're not even New Hope. I feel there's a cocky attitude when people say, 'they'll just come to Easton anyway.'”

Police Chief Carl Scalzo said while the perception might be one of over-enforcement, in fact, nearly 90 percent of those who overstay the time are never caught and fined, similar to the national rate.

Lt. Matt Lohenitz, who is in charge of parking issues for Easton Police, said smart meters are an important tool for efficiently managing the city's parking, and that problems with meters or personnel should be brought to the department's attention.

“There was a time when complaints fell on deaf ears,” Lohenitz said. “It isn't like that any more.”

Panto said the city will ultimately need more parking, even when an additional 370 parking spots are added at the city's new intermodal complex is built, and the city is looking to acquire it.

“Any time a lot becomes available, we're looking to buy it,” he said. “We don't believe Downtown parking lots should be privately owned.”

Panto said he's personally working on a plan that would reduce permit parking rates for Downtown residents and include them all, not just those that live closest to the Centre Square. Under that plan, the current $100 a year rate to park in specific assigned zones would become $25 annually, with a $100 option to allow those residents to park anywhere on the street, any time.

There will be another public discussion on parking, to be held at the Crayola auditorium. It is set for Tuesday, May 22 at 6:30 p.m.