Title
Parking Meter Giving Pilot Program (Ordinance S-45466)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to create a Parking Meter Giving Pilot Program in downtown Phoenix. The program will be reviewed six months after initial implementation. The City's cost is approximately $910 for material and installation for the pilot program.
Report
Summary
The proposed Parking Meter Giving Pilot Program provides an alternate way for pedestrians who wish to donate their spare change to help Phoenix’s homeless population. This effort is being coordinated by the City Manager’s Office in partnership with the Street Transportation and Human Services departments and Downtown Phoenix, Inc (DPI). A similar program has been launched in Laguna Beach, Calif. and other communities to aid their homeless populations.
The Parking Meter Giving Pilot Program would install artist-designed parking meters at four designated downtown locations to provide an opportunity for the public to donate funds either by credit card or coins to benefit the PHX C.A.R.E.S. (Community Action Response Engagement Services) program. The PHX C.A.R.E.S Program is managed by the Human Services Department and is intended to transition people out of homelessness. The greatest effect of the meter giving program comes from the community education and connection created with the PHX C.A.R.E.S. program. The donations received from the parking meter giving program could be used to assist with gift cards, lodging, eyeglasses, hygiene kits, move-in kits, identification cards and other items to assist the homeless community with long-term solutions.
DPI recently conducted pedestrian counts at 14 intersections in downtown Phoenix. This data was used to determine the four proposed locations for the pilot program based on high pedestrian activity. These meters would be located along pedestrian walking paths, not adjacent to parking areas, to avoid confusion with existing parking meters. DPI will issue a call to local artists through Artlink for the unique decoration of each giving program parking meter. DPI will also develop the messaging for the donation program that will be included on a sign attached to the meter pole.
As part of the City’s current parking meter contract, IPS Group, Inc. has offered up to 20 of their Smart Meter internal units at no cost as part of the company's charitable outreach. With these Smart Meters, anyone can quickly and anonymously give to the program via credit card or coins. IPS Group donates the internal units with the expectation that they will be returned at the end of the program. The parking meter shells and mounting posts would be purchased and installed by the Street Transportation Department through existing contracts and cost approximately $150 per meter. The meters would be installed by DPI at its own expense of $360 for the four meters and use DPI staff for any graffiti removal that may be necessary in the future. The meters will each have a sign installed on the pole to provide information about the program. The meters would also require battery replacements every three months during the time of the pilot program and will cost approximately $20 each. The cost for the signs and batteries would be covered by the Street Transportation Department.
The pilot program proposes to install four meters at the following locations (see Attachment A):
- The northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and Washington Street.
- The northwest corner of 1st Avenue and Jefferson Street.
- The northwest corner of Central Avenue and Adams Street.
- The northeast corner of 3rd Street and Van Buren Street.
The Parking Meter Giving Pilot Program will be evaluated using data collected over the first six months after the meters are installed. All funds collected would be deposited into a unique account for PHX C.A.R.E.S. Credit card transactions will automatically be deposited into this unique account for this program only. Coin collections will be done on a monthly or as-needed basis by parking meter staff. These coins would be collected separately from all other parking meter monies and deposited into the unique PHX C.A.R.E.S. account. The pilot program will be evaluated based on donations collected from the meters and the feedback received from DPI, its Ambassadors and City departments about the program.
Financial Impact
Revenue generated through this program is proposed to benefit the PHX C.A.R.E.S. program. The City cost is approximately $910 for material and installation for the pilot program, which is available in the Street Transportation Department's operating budget.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This item was recommended for approval at the Aviation and Transportation Subcommittee meeting on Feb. 26, 2019, by a vote of 3-0.
Location
Northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and Washington Street
Northwest corner of 1st Avenue and Jefferson Street
Northwest corner of Central Avenue and Adams Street
Northeast corner of 3rd Street and Van Buren Street
Council Districts: 7 and 8
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Deanna Jonovich, Deputy City Managers Karen Peters and Mario Paniagua, and the Street Transportation and Human Services departments.