From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
An influential coalition of downtown property owners–members include various developers like Kim Morque and Phillip Kuchma, Forstone Capital and People’s United Bank–has endorsed the controversial new parking meters.
The Downtown Special Services District, which works to make the neighborhood more “welcoming”, in a letter to city officials favored retaining the new technology, including the cameras used to catch and ticket people for not paying.
City Council members, swayed by claims from some downtown businesses and visitors that the automated meter enforcement is too aggressive and damaging the local economy, have suggested unplugging those cameras.
“The cameras are key to consistent enforcement,” Michael Moore, DSSD’s president, said in an interview Thursday.
Full story here.
Phil Kuchma should be ashamed of himself as he see sells himself out to the devil(Ganim,Testa and the Dem establishment) On top of that,Kuchma shows himself to be a BAD businessperson. Maybe Kuchma should stand in front of his development and see’s NO cars parked before 6 o’clock. I REFUSE TO PARK AT THESE ROBBER BARON METERS.
The DSSD needs a new President and new leadership. Obviously,they have been ineffective and their main priorities are NOT Downtown merchants and residents. Time to throw out the present DSSD leadership or just simply get rid of the DSSD. So far,DSSD has been useless. I changed my mind. Let’s just get rid of DSSD.
Funny , every city has these. Wake up folks. We are in the 21st century. Once people understand them, they will be great. My problem is that when friends visit downtown Bridgeport, The continue to attempt to go to 45 Lyon terrace to plug in their hybrid vehicles. That is now part of an employee only parking lot and should be moved since I never see a city employee plugged in.
New Haven nor Hartford has these meters that charge you after five minutes of setting there.
The hell with the Downtown merchants, let them shop among their self. I will take my money and business somewhere else outside of downtown and I strongly suggest that others do the same thing.
Ron… I don’t go Downtown due to these crappy/trappy hi-tech meters. I went downtown recently. wherever you saw the new hi-tech meters,you saw NO cars(until well after 6pm). The DSSD,the CC,Ganim and Tom Gill can continue to bury their heads in the sand like ostriches.. The new meters are the kiss of death.
Stamford and Norwalk are implementing meters with an app that will tell you when you have 5-10 minutes left on the meter. We are moving forward no? Since when does the largest city in the state take its lead from New Haven or Hartford. Next step – 2 huge garages anchoring the downtown . Just like Hartford has had for over 10 years. lolololol
Steve…are you really comparing Stamford and Norwalk to Bridgeport. Give me a break. Take a drive down to Stamford. Take a drive down to
Norwalk. Nordstroms is opening a store in Norwalk. Do you even realize the implications of that?
*** Come now, the majority of these downtown land-owners do not feed those new parking meters on a day to day bases. As do adverage residents and visitors to Bpt’s downtown areas & delivery trucks stoping at stores, etc. I believe that Mon. – Fri. (8-5pm) is sufficient enough for patrolling the parking spaces down-town, on Sat. & Sun. parking down-town should be free. If the idea is to bring more visitors & business to Bpt’s down-town areas why not have free parking on week-ends! Let’s not be so hard-up for every penny the city can make from parking meters and make it much more cost inviting for visitors to Bpt. ***
Mojo…Downtown Merchants are DYING.
Instead of parking at those new meters, many people just park illegally and are not penalized. I just saw a great example of illegal parking tonight on John Street… by a City vehicle (489-BPT). And I took photos. Check them out.
https://ibb.co/cqPiEk
https://ibb.co/fOMVuk
https://ibb.co/iwDofQ
This isn’t the only place where you’ll find cars parked illegally in downtown. Bank Street is a no parking street. Yet, any day of the week you can drive downtown and find cars parked bumper to bumper. Often times even parked in front of the fire hydrant. And nothing happens.
If you can park illegally and not get penalized or park at one of the big brother meters and risk getting a ticket, which would you choose? Just do what 489-BPT did tonight.
jo1986..thank you for more proof. These hi-tech meters are poison.
I completely agree! It is especially bad on nights and weekends. People also park on the no parking side of Cannon Street, along Lafayette Circle, etc.
And it will continue, especially on weekends, when visitors to downtown don’t have enough quarters, etc. for meters. As far as city vehicles are concern, they will continue to park any where they want till their ticketed by the parking patrol or P.D . Bpt. Downtown-aka-Ghost-Town after 6pm. ***
Smokin’ Joe Ganim extolled the virtues of the new-fangled parking meters. I’m wondering how much of a kickback someone received for the approval of the contract.
The meters are a great idea where you can add time to them from your cell phone without the need to go back to them. What’s a Very Bad Idea is that if you stop at them to take a call prior to adding your money, you are given a $40 ticket. If you’re helping an elderly parent in or out of your car and it takes longer than 5 minutes you get a $40 ticket. If someone in your car gets sick and you pullover at this meter your first inclination isn’t to put money in the meter rather helping your sick friend then you will be getting s $40 ticket.
This was great idea that Mayor Ganim or one of his underlings changed to make it punitive. I’d like to think that Joe didn’t come up with this ludicrous change to the digital parking meters and the underling that did suggest this change, he or she needs to be fired because that person demonstrated that they don’t have the best interest of Bridgeport,the downtown area or it’s residents in mind.
DSSD’s stance is a week late. They never backed the merchants in this entire ordeal. Quite frankly their letter reads as “Eff all the visitors, residents, and merchants” that been complaining, this is what we support.
Let me be CLEAR. DSSD’s position is irrelevant now.
As of July 3, 2017, the ordinances have already been changed to:
1) $20 Parking fine for over time limit
2) 10 Minute Grace Period coming and going
3) Free Saturday and Sunday Parking
The Police Commisioners approved 4 hour parking zones a month ago.
So all the above is the law of the land, PERIOO moving forward. The problem is the damage is done, No one knows these changes are already in place, just read the very comments on this feed.
Finally, DSSD does not support the moratorium because these guys never read the resolution which outlines the purpose of the Moratorium is to re-establish the Bridgepot Parking Authority that will properly manage our Parking Management , properly utilize the $1.5 Million in annual meter revenue, and gave our downtown stability in reference of parking.
The current city departments handling parking are completely inept, not to mention we have an outside company in Laz Parking making $400k / year to basically do what we were doing without them. Our Parking has not improved so why are they still being paid to provide rudimentary services at the expense of aggressive enforcement.
As for Mobile apps. We have 1 two many, parden the pun. But there is an app for the new meters and app for the old meters and the general public doesnt know that. Most don’t want to download 1 app, now we need TWO ???
All parking meters are urban government sanction cops that keep parking hogs from camping out their vehicles like it was their personal property parking spots. However, meter company’s are making them like one-arm bandits with no winnings just timing cars to charge more money.***