Roanoke, Virginia – Anyone familiar with the experience of entering or exiting the Center in the Square Parking Garage in downtown Roanoke would agree that the process can be somewhat tedious.
Addressing this issue, the city is contemplating an overhaul of the system aimed at expediting this process by eliminating the parking gates. This proposed system would promote payment via mobile phone applications, though provision will also be made for cash transactions via an installed machine.
The new setup includes cameras to monitor and record the license plates of vehicles as they enter and exit the facility.
“Picture a scenario where you’re pulling into a parking garage. You don’t have to roll down your window. You don’t have to wait behind a gate arm. You don’t have to pull a ticket. You don’t even have to stop your vehicle. You can pull in straight, park in a parking space,” described Scott Kitts, a Senior Manager with SP+, a company specializing in parking management.
City parking officials reassure that there would be no need to increase parking rates to fund this proposed system. The long-term goal, they note, is to implement this efficient mechanism across all city-owned garages.
