Dave Hayward
An Indianapolis firm became the first in a series of companies proposing potential solutions to parking problems in downtown Columbus.
Headquartered near Indianapolis International Airport, the Evens Time Company was represented at Thursday’s meeting of the Columbus Parking Commission by business developer Kirk Bevington and sales engineer Nate McKenzie.
Evens Time vetted a lot of different options for downtown Columbus before deciding to propose a software called Flowbird Cloud Services, Bevington said. The software is used in more than 5,000 communities located in more than 75 countries, company representatives said.
While the software was developed for paid parking, Flowbird provides cost-effective options for various different solutions, Bevington said. Flowbird also provides reporting and parking analytics that will inform local officials real time data on how well the parking system is operating, he said.
Two options were presented to the parking commission: One is the use of kiosks to pay for parking, while the other is making mobile payments utilizing a smartphone connected with a credit or debit card.
Indianapolis is using kiosks because it’s considered user-friendly, doesn’t require users to be tech savvy and accepts cash and coins, as well as plastic, Bevington said.
But the downside is that using kiosks requires higher start-up costs for equipment, as well as the hiring of collection personnel. Depending on what features are desired, each kiosk could cost the city $8,000 to $12,000, McKenzie said. His company recommends one kiosk be purchased for every eight to 10 parking spaces.
Going with the mobile payment option has a significantly lower start-up cost. However, the option is limited because it only accepts debit and credit cards and will be restrictive because it requires a smartphone to operate, Bevington said.
If the city decides to use Flowbird, Bevington says the amount of free time allowed on a number of prime parking spaces would be reduced from three hours to 30 minutes.
By law, the city has to provide a way for the public to pay parking fees with cash, McKenzie said. But city councilman and commission chairman Tom Dell says a number of downtown parking garages fulfill that obligation. Generally speaking, cash is used in no more than 15% of all parking payments, Bevington said.
Other options available through Flowbird that were briefly mentioned include a “text to park” service unveiled last year, as well as parking permits. If mobile payments are chosen by the city, McKenzie said Flowbird will make their money through a 35-cent convenience fee on each transaction. If kiosks are chosen, the convenience fee would amount to about $24 a month per kiosk, he said.
Nearly 30-minutes into the presentation and discussion that focused largely on collecting parking fees, commission member and Executive Director of Public Works Dave Hayward reminded the commission their goal is to find a way to control parking, not to make money.
Dell agreed, but he said the fees are intended to defer program costs. The commission chairman also said consulting firm Nelson/Nygaard feels a system such as Flowbird would provide a more equitable way of pursuing the management of the limited downtown parking spaces.
“It gives people more choices to stay as long as they want to, instead of what we have, which is a more punitive system,” Dell said. “Our system right now tells people they have three hours within the downtown area for parking before they have to leave.”
Last December, the Columbus Board of Works and Public Safety voted to approve the commission’s recommendation that a number of downtown side streets move from three-hour limits to free, all-day parking on a trial basis.
But after some downtown business owners complained that removing the limits had worsened problems with parking availability, the three-hour limits were restored in July.
Commission member Jacob Martin said some residents and business owners remain upset about the restoration of the time limit. He anticipates that paid parking in downtown Columbus might make them angry.
Audience member Diane Robbins, president of the Downtown Association, repeatedly asked the commission if they had post-Covid data that shows paid parking would bring more people downtown. Robbins said her organization has already taken their own survey that included a question on paid parking.
But commission member Jeff Baker said he thought one survey question on paid parking was too “pointed” to elicit valid responses. Baker also maintained that data on paid parking provided by Nelson/Nygaard was updated less than a year ago and is still valid.
After some debate, Dell said the parking commission was willing to share data from the consultant with the Downtown Association.
The commission will be hearing presentations from some of Evens Time’s competitors over the next three months, Dell said. All options will then be evaluated before the commission makes a recommendation to the Columbus Board of Works and Public Safety.
