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SCHENECTADY — Visitors to downtown Schenectady now have a new way to pay for parking.
The Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority, which owns 11 downtown parking lots and the Broadway parking garage, has installed kiosks at three of its most popular parking lots, allowing visitors to pay for parking with cash, coins or credit card.
The kiosks, which became operation Friday, are located at:
- The Center City lot at 424 Franklin St.
- The Clinton North lot at 128 Clinton St.
- The Franklin & Liberty lot located at 422 Liberty St.
Individuals who use the kiosks will be prompted to enter their license plate number, amount of time for the parking and desired payment method. A receipt will be printed out, but users do not need to display the paper on their car dashboard.
Visitors and downtown businesses have long advocated for the addition of kiosks to the downtown parking lots, citing concerns about navigating the Passport Parking app, which has been used for years to pay for parking throughout the downtown area.
Metroplex is planning to add additional kiosks at other lots later this year.
“While Passport works well for those versed in using apps, we thought after some very positive input from downtown visitors that offering credit card, cash or coin access would also be helpful so we are pleased to introduce these new kiosks,” Ray Gillen, the Metroplex chairman, said in a statement.
Parking downtown costs $1 per hour between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the week, and is free on weekends and holidays. Metroplex generated more than $800,000 in revenue from parking fees last year, an approximately 24% increase from 2021.
The development authority is also preparing to break ground on a major renovation project to Clinton North lot that will include a complete asphalt replacement, a new sidewalk that leads to the pedestrian path on Jay Street, a wider lot entrance, new signage and the installation of four electric vehicle charging stations.
Work on the lot is expected to be completed by the winter.
For additional information on the new kiosks, visit: parkschenectady.com.
Contact reporter Chad Arnold at: [email protected] or by calling 518-395-3120.
Categories: -News-, Schenectady, Schenectady County
