Preparations are well underway for the implementation of new parking technology by Armidale Dumaresq Council (ADC).
Database Consultants Australia (DCA) is supplying 860 detection devices that will cover all the timed public parking spaces in the CBD. These will be monitored by rangers equipped with handheld enforcement devices that are fully integrated with the detection devices and negate previous manual processes such as marking of tyres.
Council’s Engineer Design Officer in charge of implementing of the technology, John Tooke, said that so far two public car parks and some streets have been line marked.
“Around 30 per cent of that work has been done. In July we expect to have an intensive full week of line marking, and we hope to have that finished by August, subject to weather conditions,” said Mr Tooke.
ADC Mayor Cr Peter Ducat has begun prompting the community’s opinion on whether some CBD timed parking arrangements should be changed, especially considering one and two hour zones.
If you would like to have your say on this matter, please visit www.armidale.nsw.gov.au where you may vote online. Have your say on whether more two hour zones should replace one hour zones to give people enough time to visit Armidale’s CBD. Alternatively, you may support higher turnover of parking ensured by one hour times, or you think the timed zones should remain as they are.
“We are trying to provide a system that will assist the community in accessing parking facilities in Armidale’s centre and to manage this process carefully,” said Stephen Gow, Director Sustainable Planning and Living.
“Public parking is a service that needs to be carefully managed and allocated so there are spaces available. ADC is using technology which has overall proved reliable, effective and safe in efficiently managing and administering time limits, which are there to maintain fair access for everyone.
“This is not a ‘pay for parking system’ and if people comply with the time limits, there is no penalty — the same as now.
“Moreover the information derived from the sensors will enable council to keep time limits under more effective review and to respond better to demand patterns over time,” said Mr Gow.
