During a media-only Q&A session held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, city officials discussed details of the newly implemented paid parking plan with various members of the local media.
Besides taking us on a walking tour to demonstrate how the new equipment works, parking and telecommunications manager Sharon Waters said that enforcement officers will begin writing citations on Friday (Aug. 27) instead of just issuing warnings when residents go over on their parking time.
Also, we learned that fayettevilleparking.com has been launched (includes a couple of maps), and that there will be bike racks installed at the lot on the corner of West and Spring so cyclists can lock their bicycles up.
Other than that, there wasn’t a whole lot of information that hasn’t already been covered over the past ten months.
We did receive an info pack that included some of the maps available at fayettevilleparking.com and some FAQs you might be interested in reading.
GENERAL PARKING QUESTIONS
Source: Info sheet provided to us by city officials.
What are the parking rates?
“The rates are 50¢ per hour during the day and $1.00 per hour at night.” (See the chart below for specific times and maximum charges.)
| Monday-Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| 2 a.m. – 10 a.m. — Free | 2 a.m. – 10 a.m. — Free | 2 a.m. – 1 p.m. — Free |
| 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. — 50¢/hr ($3 max) | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. — 50¢/hr ($3 max) | 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. — 50¢/hr ($2.50 max) |
| 5 p.m. – 2 a.m. — $1/hr ($5 max) | 6 p.m. – 2 a.m. — $1/hr ($5 max) | 6 p.m. – 2 a.m. — $1/hr ($5 max) |
Are there any free parking spaces?
“Yes. There are many free spaces at some of the local churches except on Sundays. Also, there are hundreds of free public parking spaces after 5 p.m. and on weekends in the Downtown Square area. There are over 500 free spaces in parking lots and approximately 350 free parking spaces on the street, most of which connect directly to Dickson Street.”
What happens if I go down to Dickson Street and drink too much and take a cab home? Am I going to be stuck with a huge parking fine because I did the responsible thing?
“Parking rates are only charged until 2 a.m. Rates will not be charged until 10 a.m. the following day. So you will have until 10 a.m. to return to retrieve your vehicle before incurring any more charges.”
The pay stations does not look like it is powered on because the screen is black. Is the pay station working?
“Yes it is working. The pay stations have screen savers to conserve energy. Simply push any button on the front of the machine to light up the display, and then follow the prompts.”
What types of payment are accepted at the pay stations?
“Cash, credit/debit cards (Visa, MC, Discover) and validation coupons are accepted at most of the pay stations. The exit gates at the WAC Lot only accept credit cards.”
When and where do I pay for my parking if I am parked in one of the gated lots?
“You should pay at one of the pay stations located under the canopy in the WAC or in the lobby of the Walton Arts Center. You will then take your validated ticket and drive to the exit gate where you will insert your ticket and exit the lot.”
Why is the pay station not reading my parking ticket?
“You must insert your parking lot ticket facing up with the magnetic strip on the right side. Please do not crease or crinkle your parking lot ticket as this makes it more difficult for the reader to process it.”
What if I lose my parking lot ticket?
“You may press the Lost Ticket button on the pay station, or you may press the button for assistance and a parking officer will come to assist you.”
Do motorcycle patrons pay for parking?
“Yes. If they park their motorcycle in one of the designated motorcycle spaces, they only pay 50% of the parking rate. If they park their motorcycle in a regular space, they must pay the full parking rate.”
Can we park more than one motorcycle in a regular sized parking space?
“Yes. You must pay the full parking rate and all motorcycles must fit within the lines of the parking space.”
If I park my motorcycle in a regular sized parking space with another motorcycle, how can I tell if the space has been paid?
“You cannot tell what spaces have been paid, so you must ensure that there is time paid on your space. You can do this by either checking with the original parker or by paying for the space. If the time expires on the space, all vehicles within the space will be issued a citation.”
Do bicycle and scooter patrons pay for parking?
“No. Bicycles and scooters less than 70cc may park in the designated bicycle/scooter parking areas for free.”
What’s going to happen during events like Bikes, Blues & BBQ?
“Parking fees will be waived during special events that are pre-approved by the Mayor. Residential areas, however, will be off limits to parkers that do not have a valid residential parking permit.”
Will there be vendor passes?
“No. Vehicles loading and unloading are allowed 15 minutes to park and conduct business. They must turn on their vehicle emergency flashing lights and must be loading and/or unloading their vehicle.”
Does my service vehicle have to be a marked vehicle?
“Yes. Your service vehicle must be marked with the vendor name so that parking officers can identify you as a vendor.”
What if I have a problem, concern or suggestion for the new parking program?
“Please email us at [email protected]. We will be reviewing the entire program in November and will address all concerns and suggestions at that time.”
