| October 27, 2003
News Release New parking fee collection machines installed at King County's Marymoor Park will reduce commuter traffic through the park and make it easier to pay. The new machines, which will issue dated receipts to be displayed on car dashboards visible through the front windshield, are also expected to increase compliance with the parking fee. Additionally, a new booth installed at the east gate of the park, to be staffed during rush hour, will help cut commuter traffic through the park. "We are making it easier and more convenient for people to pay the dollar parking fee at Marymoor," Acting Parks Director Shelley Marelli. "We are installing some machines that make change and some where people can drive up and pay and then continue to the lot of their choice." Installation of fifteen automated collection machines is the second phase of implementing a parking fee that began February 1, 2003. Six of the machines are solar powered. Nine are electric and will make change. Two drive-up machines were installed just off of the road that leads to the off-leash dog area, one of the park's most-visited areas. People can pay the machines from their cars, take their receipt and drive to the lot of their choice. In other lots, people will get out of their cars, pay, and return the receipt to their car dashboard. Until now, people have paid a dollar in an envelope deposited in collection boxes in parking lots. The need for exact change and lack of dated receipts has reduced compliance. Envelopes were opened and tabulated by hand. "The new collection machines help cut labor costs because they automatically compile payments and tabulate receipts, something we are doing by hand right now," said Marelli. A new booth at the east gate of the park will also be staffed during rush hour with staff checking dated parking receipts on cars driving through. Those cars without a dated receipt or parking permit will have to turn back and exit through the west gate or pay for parking if they have forgotten to pay. "We really want to discourage commuter traffic in the park," said Marelli. "On any given evening the park is filled with kids, bikes and other people recreating. The roads are meant to provide access to the park, not through the park." The Parking fee was implemented February 1, 2003 to provide partial operating support for King County Parks, which trimmed $10 million from its 2003 budget in response to the County's $52 million budget shortfall. King County's Parks Transition Plan - largely based on the recommendations of a citizens task force and the comments of park users - calls for long- and short-term funding solutions based on new savings and revenue generating options. So far the parking fee has generated $230,000 for parks. One hundred percent of parking fee revenues helps parks maintenance and operation. |
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