ParkAtlanta, the private company that runs Atlanta’s on-street parking program, will have to comply with stricter requirements if new rules are adopted by the City Council and Mayor Kasim Reed.
The contract amendment to tweak ParkAtlanta’s procedures — by adding a customer service hotline and protections for motorists who park at broken meters, among other changes — is set to be considered by the City Council’s transportation committee on Wednesday.
As a result of the changes, Atlanta would get $200,000 less from ParkAtlanta every year. The company would pay the city $5.3 million annually, a 3.6 percent reduction from the current $5.5 million.
When ParkAtlanta set up shop in late 2009, drivers, residents and business owners in Midtown, Little Five Points, Virginia-Highland and other heavy-traffic areas quickly and loudly complained about the tougher enforcement. One city councilman called for the contract to be voided.
Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell recently convened a meeting between city officials and ParkAtlanta executives to discuss improving the city’s enforcement. Mitchell called for upgraded equipment and said he is concerned that old-fashioned coin meters are difficult for customers to use.
“For the parking program to be successful, emphasis must be placed on facilitating the payments of reasonable parking fees versus exploiting the trap of extracting fines,” Mitchell said.
On Thursday, a top company executive said ParkAtlanta had worked with city officials to craft the latest proposal. The goal is to create a simpler experience for drivers, said Anderson Moore, ParkAtlanta’s vice president of operations.
“The amendment will improve customer service (and) increase transparency and accountability,” Moore said.
City Councilman Lamar Willis, who introduced the legislation, said he hoped it would solve the concerns of residents and commuters.
“I’ve met with residents and businesses throughout the city who have expressed their concerns about our current parking enforcement program,” Willis said. “I shared these concerns with the Mayor’s administration as they continue to fine-tune our agreement with ParkAtlanta.”
Under the proposed amendment, ParkAtlanta would be required to provide an online process for filing complaints on its website, and would be required to share all complaints and responses with the city. The company would have to keep a specific phone number dedicated to questions and complaints.
ParkAtlanta, a unit of Milwaukee-based Duncan Solutions, would be required to respond to all online complaints within two days. The legislation also calls for new employee training, approved by the city.
As a result of the changes, ParkAtlanta would pay the city $5.3 million annually, a 3.6 percent reduction from the current $5.5 million it is scheduled to pay the city.
Under the proposed rules, citations would not be issued where meters are not working or where there are unclear, conflicting or hidden signs. Similarly, the amendment calls for citations not to be issued where signs have not been installed or have been removed from a metered area.
If a ticket is issued in any of these cases, it would have to be promptly voided by ParkAtlanta.
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