Many people were waiting on line this afternoon as only one parking machine was in operation at one of the city’s busiest parking lots. The New Rochelle development department put two new machines in the lot and only one worked, causing significant delays and inconvenience for people parking there.
UPDATE: More lines Monday at the library lot.
UPDATE: Development Commissioner Michael Freimuth responds to my inquiry on the parking situation.
The transfer over to central pay station from individual meters occurred over the weekend. Unfortunately the newly purchased and installed pay station gave us start up troubles (its being checked and tuned as I write this). A second machine was relocated from the Library South lot and was activated this morning and is functioning well. By the end of the week, the other two pay stations will also accept payment for the Library Lot and we will have four machines operational for Library and Library South.
The long lines experienced this weekend should abate and the parking team and the vendors have been at the lots all morning.
UPDATE: Parking Manager George Rainone responds to my inquiry on the parking machine near the North Avenue CVS. I asked why new parking machines in the library lot are being placed within a tree bed across from the side entrance of the CVS. I pointed out that there is no cross walk to the machine, there are no electrical power sources nearby and placing solar-powered machines under trees would not appear to make sense. I also pointed out that to access the machine in the tree bed, people will stand in the driveway that leads from North Avenue into the lot. This would appear to be dangerous, especially given the recent lines. Cars turning from the eastbound lane of North Avenue into the lot may not see people standing in the road, waiting to use the machine, until they are upon them.
A concrete pad is being installed for the placement of the machine. It is a very common practice for people to walk through a parking lot without being in a cross walk. There are two power sources in close proximity to the location where the shelter will be placed. The shelter will be protected by several bollards (a short vertical post) placed around it. The shelter will have a light and the lamp post that is seen in the photo will also light the area.