Starting Friday, Fairfield will launch a new parking management system to facilitate the issuing and payment of daily parking tickets for commuters and staff.
Fairfield police and special police assigned to the Parking Authority will begin using parking ticket handheld units Friday to patrol the downtown area and the Fairfield Center and Southport commuter parking lots, according to a Parking Authority release.
The goals of using the new technology are to increase parking turnover, allow for better tracking of permits, and automate the day parking tickets issued at at the commuter lots.
The Parking Authority is working in conjunction with Complus Data Innovations, Inc. (CDI) to roll out the new system. The Tarrytown, NY-based company currently provides parking management services to 15 other Connecticut municipalities, according to the release.
As part of the multi-year contract with Fairfield, CDI will provide the handheld units for parking enforcement, tracking software, and reminder services. The contract also includes a complete data conversion from the current system, training, customer service, and web-based parking ticket payments.
In addition to better managing parking enforcement downtown and at the Fairfield Center and Southport commuter parking lots, the new system will allow commuters to pay for both parking violations and day tickets online via credit card or PayPal and by mail without a convenience fee if the tickets are paid within 10 days of being issued.
“We heard from many commuters that paying by credit card was a desired convenience, so this allows us to make the parking experience a little easier while saving our parking staff time and money issuing tickets every day,” Mary Kay Frost, Chair of the Parking Authority, said.
“We were impressed by CDI’s experience in Connecticut and the technology they offered at no upfront cost to the town,” Frost added.
Also starting Friday, a new daily ticket will be issued. The ticket is designed for easier reading and issuing, according to the release. Later in 2013, the Parking Authority and CDI will partner to provide an easier renewal and waiting list process for annual permits.
For more information, visit the Parking Authority page on the town website.
Now maybe the Officers that hand out parking tickets will start ticketing the Metro-North Conductor that parks every day in a "Permit Parking Only" space WITHOUT a Permit right across from the New Haven Bound station house. All he has in his windshield is a hand-written sign that says "Metro North Conductor". When i questioned an Officer about this, he said they let the conductor park there out of "professional courtesy". Must be Nice. I wish I could get out of paying a $35.00 PER DAY Fine just by putting a hand-written sign in my windshield. But no......I have been on the Waiting List for a PERMIT for 5 years now and I am still waiting to park LEGALLY.
The Conductor in question should be parking in the "Daily" parking spaces and paying $6.00 per day just like everyone else. This is what those of us that are still on the Waiting List do. The Fairfield Police and the Special Officers should not be turning a blind eye to someone who is parking illegally in a "PERMIT ONLY" parking space. They should be ticketing him $35.00 per day!
Knowing my luck..........I would get a $35.00 ticket.