Altoona Parking Authority must spend $70,000 by end of year

‘The clock’s running’: ARPA money must be spent by year’s end

The Altoona Parking Authority must spend $70,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) on parking technology before an end-of-the-year deadline for spending that money.

The authority is planning to buy a kiosk for the exit gate of the parking garage, license plate readers for both the entrance and exit and possibly payment kiosks and meters for 11th and 12th avenues -- along with software to run that hardware, to enable smart phones to read license plates on the streets and in the lots and to handle permitting, ticketing, validation and fine payments.

The city allocated the ARPA money to the authority from its initial $39.6 million grant from that program in 2021.

"The clock's running," said City Manager Christopher McGuire, a member of the authority board.

The ARPA deadline is unforgiving, as at least one area municipal authority learned to its chagrin several months ago, when its effort to obtain an extension was denied.

How the city will distribute kiosks and meters on the street still needs to be determined, according to parking Manager David Curtis.

The discussions about that will include MacKay Meters, a manufacturing firm, according to McGuire.

There may be a mix, McGuire said.

The presence of meters can be reassuring for some motorists, as there is no question they apply to the adjacent parking space, in contrast to kiosks, which can be some distance away from the spaces they govern, according to McGuire.

The presence of meters and kiosks doesn't necessarily mean the disappearance of free parking on the downtown streets, officials said.

Most spaces allow for two hours free, a setup that helps ensure turnover, which businesses on the avenues desire.

Meters and kiosks can be set to allow for a certain free period, before charges kick in, according to McGuire.

Those issues still need to be figured out, he said.

City Council will need to approve the ordinances that will undergird the changes.

While the equipment and installation must be paid for by the end of the year, the work doesn't necessarily need to be complete, officials said.