New parking kiosk installed
Butler residents and downtown merchants will now have a more convenient way to pay for parking at the Diamond Parking Lot in Butler.
The city installed a parking kiosk Tuesday at the lot, which is located next to Diamond Park near Main Street.
“We're trying to stay on the cutting edge for a third-class city,” said Butler parking manager Jim Chiprean. “We have a first-class parking city that is the envy of most other cities our size.”
License plate numbers must be entered into the machine before people can pay. Payment can be bills, credit cards or coins in the kiosk.
Chiprean encouraged people to use the meters, which still are in place, if they're going to use coins.
The kiosk prices are 50 cents per half-hour and $1 per hour, as opposed to 25 cents per half-hour and 50 cents per hour when using the meters.
“A lot of people just want the convenience of being able to use the credit card,” Chiprean said. “Most people, when they get a ticket, they say, 'Well, I didn't have a quarter.'”
The kiosk is solar powered. It also did not cost the city any extra money to install. It was initially one of two kiosks purchased for the Centre City Parking Garage, but Chiprean said it was deemed unnecessary to have two kiosks in the garage.
“It's a trial thing,” Chiprean said. “We own the machine and we thought we'd try it in the lot for future progress in other lots.”
The Diamond Parking Lot was chosen because of its proximity to the Centre City Parking Garage's online system, as well as its convenience for residents.
“We always want to keep the merchants first if we can to try and promote economic redevelopments downtown,” Chiprean said.
