SCRANTON — Parking at downtown city garages and on streets — and parking tickets — will cost more in 2020.
Most increases were authorized under a rate schedule approved as part of the city’s 2016 monetization of the parking system that unloaded operations to an outside firm, the nonprofit National Development Council.
Two changes that deviated from the 2016 schedule were approved today by the Scranton Parking Authority.
The monthly parking rate in a city-affiliated garage downtown will increase $2, or from $90 to $92.
That’s a smaller increase than had been pre-approved under the city’s 2016 parking monetization, which called for the $90 monthly rate to rise to $100 in 2019.
But NDC and its subcontractor, ABM Parking Services, have been able to keep the $90 rate this year, NDC Directors David Trevisani and Robert “Bud” Sweet told SPA Tuesday. NDC/ABM can hold the monthly parking increase to $92 because of various efficiencies and because “the system is performing well,” Trevisani said. The city-affiliated garages are Casey, Connell, Linden, Medallion, Electric City and the Marketplace at Steamtown, all operated by NDC/ABM.
In addition, downtown residents will be offered a discounted monthly parking garage rate of $74, applicable only in the Linden, Casey or Electric City garages on any floors other than the ground and top level.
The other garage fees approved in the 2016 lease deal between the city and NDC include:
n The parking rate will increase from $3.50 to $4 for the first hour; from $6 to $7 for up to two hours; from $8 to $9 for up to eight hours; from $9 to $10 for up to 12 hours; and from $12 to $13 for up to 24 hours.
n Weekend/special event parking will increase from $5 to $6.
n The lost parking ticket charge will rise from $20 to $22.
n Reserved monthly parking will rise from $120 to $122.
The on-street parking rates will include:
n A metered rate paid at kiosks replacing old street meters will rise from $1.50 to $2 per hour.
n A new, all-day rate in certain downtown periphery areas, but payable only through the Pango mobile app, will be $3.25 per day, under a pilot program.
n There will be a new pay-by-mobile convenience fee of 25 cents per transaction.
Citation fine increases will include:
n Overtime parking citations will increase from $25 to $35.
n A violation of the no-parking zone will increase from $35 to $45.
n A violation for fire hydrant/disabled space will rise from $55 to $75.
All of the new parking rates and fines will take effect Jan. 1.
The Scranton Parking Authority today — with SPA Chairman Joseph Matyjevich, James Wintermantel and Michael Salerno all in favor, and the other two board seats vacant — approved the $92 monthly garage rate and the downtown resident discount, both requested by NDC.
The SPA had to vote on these two rates because they were not pre-approved under the 2016 monetization that had NDC taking over the parking system under a longterm lease.
Meanwhile, ABM crews have been removing old parking meters downtown and replacing them with modern payment kiosks.
As of Tuesday, 84 kiosks were put into operation with more expected to come online in the near future, AMB Operations Manager Chris Emerick said.
Motorists should expect parking hours to be enforced in areas where meters have been removed and kiosks put into operation, Trevisani said.
Jeff Horvath, staff writer, contributed to this report.
Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter.