AmherstParkingTrap.com

When I have talked about parking fines in Amherst most people only think about $8.00 parking tickets.

The fact is that revenue from parking accounts for more than Three Quarters of a Million Dollars in revenue to Amherst each year.

In the Financial Year 2006, revenue from parking is budgeted at $778,840.00 (Registry Fees are not kept by the town but are paid directly to the State of Massachusetts.)

The way that the Amherst town budget is organized is that parking is part of the Transportation fund, what is called an Enterprise fund.  Here find a PDF of the 2007 Transportation Fund report from which the above table was copied.  Simply, what the report says is that parking fines are used to pay for four parking enforcement personnel, who issue about 30,000 tickets per year.  This pays for about $185,000.00 annually to cover salaries and benefits, with the balance paying for operating expenses, and the town’s contribution to the PVTA buses and van services.

What is glaringly missing from this report is are discussions of Long Range Objectives. In Revenues, General Fund Services, Debt Service, and Capital Program this area is left blank. Only in Parking Management has any entry into this area and that is: “To discourage meter feeding and increase parking space turnover.” At best, this is a very short term objective.

The stated goal of Revenues is: “To develop revenue sources adequate to make parking services self-supporting.”

It is clear from the above table that the Transportation Fund is failing in this regard.  Their only revenue sources are from parking fines and fees.  There is no outside funding being received.  State level lobbying needs to take place for capital expenditures, specifically creating more parking spaces in Amherst.

The stated goal of Parking Management is: “To effectively manage the Town Center and adjacent residential area parking systems.”

Individuals who perform the tasks of Parking Management in Amherst can’t help but notice that there is a significant parking deficit in the downtown area.  With this recognition, it is clear that these individuals are not effectively managing this resource if they are not rallying from inside for the right to discern who gets parking tickets and when.  Allowing these town employees to take back tickets in the field is a starting point to solve the larger problem of the antagonistic nature of Parking Management.

Parking Management has also made an un-funded recommendation to “Increase a half time (20 hours/week) enforcement officer to full time at a cost of $12,507.” This is simply going in the wrong direction.  As stated in the section on Recommendations, parking management should have reduced hours corresponding to the times after which students no longer would choose the town center for long term parking, and linked to the to the University academic calendar, incidentally saving this added expense.

The stated goal of General Fund is: “To compensate the General Fund for services provided by various departments.”

Compensation is more than money.  It is useful to understand that of the total money collected last year over $84,000.00 went to paying for the new parking garage, and another $200,000.00 pays for the town PVTA assessment.  Both the creation of new parking spaces and the continued availability of free public transportation, eliminating the need for many cars in Amherst, are worthy pursuits which should be indicated on every parking ticket.

The stated goal of Debt Service is: “To provide funds to satisfy debt obligations.”

It is important to pay off one’s debts.  It is also important to have long term plans.  Long term debt should be used to continue to pay for the creation of additional parking in Amherst for as long as parking deficits continue.  In time this will be a self correcting problem, and parking fines will pay for more spaces until the parking deficit is resolved.  Another parking structure should be planed in preparation for when the current parking garage has been paid for and another is needed.  No debt should ever be added to the Transportation fund not related to transportation.

The stated goal of Capital Program is: “To maintain facilities and equipment to ensure the delivery of efficient parking services.”

Amherst is not using the most current parking equipment.  Currently installed parking meters do not allow for the possibility of a Grace Period or for Free Time, both options that are available on modern equipment that would fit the existing meter housings and would reduce some of the animosity currently being maintained by Amherst Parking Management.  The lack of a continuing Amherst Parking Committee has created a gap in the continued updating of the current equipment, even as the Amherst sidewalk renovation is taking place.  The installation of timed ticket machines is a good step in the direction of modern ticket equipment.

In short, long term goals should be stated clearly and made guiding principals for the Transportation Fund.  It is clear from the short sited behavior of Amherst Parking Enforcement that these goals are absent from the Annual Report, and are sorely missed.  The short sited actions of the current parking enforcement burdens Amherst business owners and ultimately all of the residents and visitors to the town.  APT