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Oct 27, 2023

Parking preview: Carlisle explores meter replacement, plans charging station installation

Smart parking meters, capable of accepting payments in the form of coins or

Smart parking meters, capable of accepting payments in the form of coins or cards, are fixed to a North Hanover Street lamp post in Carlisle.

Improvements to Carlisle's smart parking meter program could be coming soon with research underway to examine possibilities and options for the replacement of meters.

Finance Director Richard Juday discussed the meters during the borough council's meeting April 13.

Officials said Carlisle contains a mix of approximately 622 smart parking meters, which accept coins and credit cards, and 161 coin-only meters that generate about $290,000 of revenue per year.

The borough began to transition to smart parking meters at the end of 2019, and officials said the meters have an average life of about five to 10 years before components like batteries begin to require replacement.

While meters installed before 2019 have been replaced on an as-needed basis, officials said as time goes on, staff members have seen a rise in meter repair needs. However, the borough has seen delays in the manufacturing and distribution of meter batteries and has begun to evaluate options for the future.

Officials said research includes an evaluation of the cost to support an extended life on current meters through repairs, and a look at newer technology that could offer improved power management and extend battery life. Newer meters could also offer features with parking apps.

Possible meter options include single space meters, which are already used in the borough; dual-space meters, which manage two parking spots on one meter; multispace meters, which manage multiple parking spots on one meter; and kiosks.

Officials have not yet decided if or whether a full or partial replacement might take place. Nor has a number of meters been selected for replacement.

Borough officials said the project won't move forward until an analysis has been completed. While research continues, staff members estimated that if meter replacement is recommended to the council, the installation of new meters could take place this summer.

Until then, individual meter repairs and replacement will continue.

In addition to examining the possibility of parking meter replacement, officials are in the process of incorporating two electric vehicle charging stations on the first floor of the Pomfret Street parking garage.

The stations are anticipated to be installed by midyear and will be located along the right wall of the garage just beyond the main entrance, officials said.

Engineers for Chargepoint, the vendor of the stations, recently informed borough staff that they were submitting final permits and soon anticipate a timeline for the station's installation. Officials said the engineers are also examining the site to determine if any upgrades are necessary.

Carlisle plans to install two electric vehicle charging stations at the Pomfret Street Parking Garage at 35 W. Pomfret St. by the middle of the year.

These mark the first borough-owned charging stations in Carlisle, Juday told The Sentinel in January. The borough has not come to a final decision as to what rates might be incorporated for station use.

Borough staff are conducting research and analyzing local municipalities and businesses that offer charging for electric vehicles and will make a recommendation to the council before the stations go live.

Juday said in January the initiative supports the borough's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as outlined in its 2022 Climate Action Plan.

While the borough hasn't received much feedback on the stations, officials anticipate more input from the community after the stations become operational.

Yahoo News reports that the Biden administration has struck a deal with Tesla and other companies to provide more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country.

Maddie Seiler is a news reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com covering Carlisle and Newville. You can contact her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at: @SeilerMadalyn

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News Reporter

Maddie Seiler is a news reporter for The Sentinel covering Carlisle, Newville and education news.

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