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Dec 11, 2023

Town officials still vetting parking kiosk candidates

FUTURE PARKING KIOSKS - Reading’s future downtown kiosk parking program will

FUTURE PARKING KIOSKS - Reading's future downtown kiosk parking program will have lots of hi-tech options for people looking to park in the downtown area.

READING - Reportedly still months away from acquiring the machines, town officials say they have identified three leading contenders for Reading's future downtown kiosk parking program.

According to a July 13 memo from Economic Development Director Julie Mercier to Town Manager Fidel Maltez, a special "kiosk vetting group" has so far interviewed five vendors vying for the paid parking system procurement contract. That initial batch of informal applicants has since been narrowed down to three leading candidates.

Town Meeting in April appropriated $110,000 for the acquisition of four solar-powered parking meters, which will ultimately be installed in town's Upper Haven Street parking lot and at the municipal lot off of Brande Court.

"The ‘Kiosk Vetting Group,’ consisting of Planning, Engineering and Police staff and one downtown business owner/PARC member, was formed earlier this year to interview the various vendors involved in the world of paid parking systems, which includes pay stations (kiosks), enforcement devices, software and mobile payment apps. To date, the group has interviewed VenTek, Parkeon/Flowbird, IPS Group, PayByPhone and Gtechna," Mercier explained in her update to the town manager.

"Vendors interviewed participate in the MAPC collective purchasing contract and/or the NCPA contract, which allows the Town to avoid hosting our own procurement process," she later said of the process.

Mercier's memo was recently included in the Select Board packet in advance of the town officials’ last regularly scheduled meeting on July 19.

Currently, according to the economic development director, IPS Group, which provided the kiosks for similar parking enforcement programs in Malden, Newton, Cambridge, and Lynn, is presently considered the preferred choice for providing the actual pay stations and the software needed by police to manage enforcement activity.

Meanwhile, PayByPhone, a vendor used by the MBTA for some of its parking lots - including those in Reading - is being eyed for a contract award related to a desired mobile payment app that would allow downtown visitors to make payments other than cash.

Notably, IPS Group was originally not invited in for an interview before the parking kiosk selection group due to conflicting feedback about the quality of their services. However, after realizing the vendor provides both the kiosk hardware and the software and devices needed by police to issue tickets, the group reconsidered that position.

One of the vetting group's top goals is to identify vendors who are able to provide as many kiosk and software components as needed for Reading to launch its new downtown parking metering program.

"Based on initial feedback I received in 2020, IPS Group was not a vendor we were interested in at first. However, after a couple people recommended them to us, we decided to bring them in for an interview. They are one of only two vendors that provides pay stations as well as enforcement devices, and they also have a mobile app that we can sign up for later if desired," Mercier advised Maltez.

So far, the town has not ordered any of the equipment or software needed to begin with the new downtown parking regime. It will reportedly take at least two months and as long as a half-a-year for the equipment to be manufactured to Reading's specifications.

The biggest timing factor in the procurement process involves the decision over whether to equip the kiosks immediately to accept cash payments - as there is a six-month lead time for kiosks with that component.

[W[e could install pay stations first with bill acceptor later, or wait until fully ready. We also want to be sensitive to the business community, ideally allowing patrons time to get used to the system and for businesses to set up validation options before the holidays or postponing roll-out until after," the economic development director noted.

Per a vote of Reading's Select Board, the kiosks, once enforcement of the town's new downtown parking regs begins, will be used to collect anywhere from $1 to $5 an hour for parking spaces.

Residents looking to utilize the municipal lots would be able to park for free for up to one hour, but would be charged $1 an hour for leaving their vehicles for up to four hours. The rate would jump to $5 an hour for anyone looking to stay in a parking space for longer than five hours.

Those who exceed the time restrictions will reportedly face $20 fines.

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