BREAKING NEWS: Parking Kiosks to be Removed!

February 7, 2012 by Ian
Filed under: News, Police, Update

Pay or else. Kudos to Keene police’s chief Ken Meola for being able to admit he was wrong. In a letter to the FOP committee and city boss John MacLean, Meola states (see the letter on page 27 of this PDF):

Since implementation, the following observations/feedback has been noted:
- Numerous mechanical difficulties have arisen with the machines and they continue to present.
- The public is finding the technology difficult to operate.
- The technology is not conducive to customers of the downtown businesses.
- Downtown merchants have reported constant complaints about the new kiosks and have reported down-turns in business as a result.
- Space usage and enforcement is down due to the mechanical issues and the difficulties the public has had with using it.

Although a 90 day trial period was requested, it appears that the trial period already undertaken is sufficient to indicate this technology will not work at this time within the City of Keene and that it will not produce the benefits originally believed.

Consequently, we will be suspending the trial period, removing the pay-by-space machines, and re-installing the coin operated parking meters.

Of course, what they should do is take down all the parking meters. It works during the week in the holiday season where only the two-hour limit is enforced – it would work all year long.

david

how did u get this so fast.
http://naturalbornanarchist.com Kelly Voluntaryist

we win. More of that to come.
enslave keene

Yes Kelly, after dozens of tireless campaigns fk finally won one for us….
david

This isn't the result of fk and I don't think the police chief was "wrong": they tried the kiosks for a trial period and they didn't pass the test/trial. To the extent that fk is is a member of the public and spoke against them ,yes fk had a effect.

But the factors noted in Meola's letter caused it too.

They were not efficient or user friendly or,it seems, well made.

In short,they were a pain and the public didn't like them. lol
outside observer

The people of keene are too stupid to use the kiosks properly. I don't support them, anyway. But yeah, you keeneiacs are too stupid for the kiosks…
enslave keene

I will be calling the city to inform them of the smart meters like Boston has. As soon as a car leaves an electronic eye clears the remaining time. So we enslavers will fix you guys yet!

Im a good little govt nazi aint i?
FK reader

"Although a 90 day trial period was requested, it appears that the trial period already undertaken is sufficient to indicate this technology will not work at this time within the City of Keene and that it will not produce the benefits originally believed."

Mr Meola, the kiosks will NEVER work in Keene. And like the kiosks, the parking meters themselves are not that effective at doing anything. The city loses money on enforcing them and they don't make parking any more easier to find.

Ian, a good point you make! If no parking meters work during one of the busiest weeks of the year and the city government recognizes that having no meter fees is good for merchants during this busy week of Christmas shopping, than meters should not be downtown for the less busy 358 days of the year.
Bill

Credit where credit is due, David. Good point. They gave the Kiosks a trial run and they failed the test, so they're getting rid of them.

Just another case of the lying hypocrites at FK…….
david

enslave,

why not just make it so as soon as the time runs out it sets a electronic ball rolling and a ticket is mailed to that driver the next day …the technology is there ……lmao…….then you'd be a happy enslaver…

im with ian- no parking meters