A pay station has been installed in the midtown parking deck in a possible harbinger of things to come for downtown Lynchburg.
The machine, which accepts payment by coin, credit card and cell phone, won’t be operational until Jan. 2. On that day, the city plans to launch a 90-day pilot program testing out the paid parking system.
The pay station was installed early to allow for testing and staff training.
The city has also successfully negotiated a new parking management contract for the privately owned lot behind the old Federal Court House, according to a report given to the Lynchburg Parking Authority earlier this week.
The city expects to take over administration of 40 spaces in the lot at 1100 Main St. on or around Dec. 1. No immediate changes are expected, according to parking manager Norman Hale.
The old courthouse lot currently leases space out on a monthly basis, an arrangement that will continue for the time being, Hale said. Further discussion with the parking authority will be required before a final course of action is decided, he said.
The results of the midtown pilot are expected to help guide local leaders as they begin considering changes to other lots and decks.
Changes to the Clay Street deck, where officials plan to reshuffle public and non-public space, are now slated to occur early next year.
Officials plan to shift all public parking to the deck’s covered second level, while employee parking will be moved to the uncovered top tier.
The announcement of those plans at a parking authority meeting last month caused confusion and upset some city and school staffers, who were unaware of the pending changes.
Hale has since met with school employees to discuss the plans, while City Manager Kimball Payne is expected to hold a staff meeting at City Hall.
The change-up in the Clay Street deck is meant to lay the groundwork for an eventual shift to paid public parking in that structure. Covered space carries more value in the parking industry, officials say.
The city is working to create a new downtown parking system in keeping with the recommendations of a 2007 study on the subject.
Officials are currently focused on creating new off-street options. Later phases will see attention shift to on-street parking, which is expected to go to a paid system, a proposal receiving mixed reviews from downtown stakeholders.
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