Parking will be easier to pay for at two County parks parking lots with benefits for both the City and County by sharing revenue when two new automated parking kiosks begin operations June 1.

The City’s parking division has installed two pay-by-space kiosks at the Howe Avenue Access and Watt Avenue Access parking lots. The machines take cash, credit cards, and park goers can even pay via cell phone. The new technology will replace the old self-service drop boxes. In return, the County park rangers will be freed up to focus on public safety.

The partnership falls in line with the City and the County’s efforts to find ways to consolidate services and improve operational efficiencies that will generate revenue.

“We’re looking forward to the start of a first effort to streamline services, which we hope will lead to similar City/County agreements, where they make sense and benefit the taxpayers,” said Bill Edgar, Interim City Manager.

“We hope this new partnership will lead to other agreements between the City and County as we continue to look for consolidations and business models that will deliver the highest quality of services at the best price for our constituents,” said Steve Szalay, Interim County Executive.

The project is the first consolidation of services between the City and County since the recession and one example where a duplicative service is being merged. The City owns, operates and maintains the machines and will enforce parking at the two lots. The revenue from parking fees will be split 50/50 above a $67,430 base payment.

If the pilot partnership is successful for both the City and the County, additional kiosks may be installed in other parks parking lots.