Timeline for gate arms in downtown parking garages still unclear
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia Parking Advisory Commission met Wednesday to discuss parking downtown. The group discussed where the project to install gate arms in downtown parking garages currently stands.
The city approved the installation of gate arms on Oct. 6, 2017, for $930,077.62.
On Sept. 16, 2019, the council approved an additional $219,425.55 to install 22 EMV credit card readers, 22 contactless antennas and 10 occupancy signs that would indicate if a garage has open spots.
The signs will prevent drivers from paying to go into a garage only to find out there are no spots available. The credit card readers would allow customers to use their credit cards at the pay-on-foot machines or at the gate arm exit. The antennas would let drivers use Apple, Google or Samsung pay in the garages.
The gate arms have not been functional since city leaders approved the initial installation.
James Faup, parking supervisor for the city, said the city is at a standstill on the project after starting to place orders for additional equipment like signage and card readers.
"Right now what we're waiting on is the actual, we've put the placement of the order in, but we're waiting to hear back from the manufacturers what that kind of lead time may be on those items," he said.
He said the delay on the project, after deciding to purchase the additional equipment, was renegotiating contracts with the companies providing it.
"As that process kind of grew from the things that we were adding, so too did then the need to make sure that we had other things in place," Faup said. "That process has taken a little time to try to work through just so that we make sure that we've got everything in place as we need it."
Faup said the delay in utilizing the gate arms has not had any major impact on the public works department but did require some shifting of staff. For example, the department had to pull two people areas like enforcement officers to man the 8th and Walnut parking garage.
He said even though the timeline for the project is unclear, the city hopes to hear from the manufacturers sooner than later.
