Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The world has changed a lot since early March, but one thing that hasn’t is Bucks County’s intention to start charging for parking at two county-owned garages in Doylestown Borough.
In late winter, LevittownNow.com broke the news that the county planned to charge for parking at the garage at Broad and Union streets and the new garage at Broad and Court streets surrounding the county Administration Building and Justice Center.
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The implementation of the plan was stalled several times between March and September, but officials recently announced pay-to-park will begin on Monday, September 14.
The delays were, at least partly, due to getting pay-to-park equipment ready.
Here’s how the county explains the parking and fee schedule:
The fees, which vary according to location, time of day and day of the week, are equal or less than those charged by Doylestown Borough for its metered parking.
County workers who have been issued employee ID badges will be able to access parking at all hours by placing their badges against the entrance and exit kiosks of the lots.
Paid public parking will be available at all hours Monday through Saturday at the Union Street facility. The cost of parking there will be $1 per hour, up to a maximum of $5 per day.
For vehicles left overnight, the total will begin to accumulate again at midnight – meaning, for instance, a person parking in the garage from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. or later would pay $10. This compares favorably with most metered parking in Doylestown Borough, where fees are $1 per hour with a three-hour limit before a vehicle is subject to citations and fines.
Parking fees at the Union Street garage may be paid with credit card or cash.
To pay by credit card, a motorist would insert the card at the entrance kiosk, receiving a paper parking ticket as the gate is raised for entry. Upon leaving, that motorist would insert the ticket into the exit kiosk, and then insert the same credit card to pay the amount displayed.
To pay with cash, a motorist would press a button on the entrance kiosk, taking a paper parking ticket as the gate is raised. Before attempting to exit, the paper ticket must be taken to a payment kiosk at the facility, where it is inserted, followed by the appropriate amount of cash (exact change is not required). The payment kiosk will return a validated ticket that can be inserted into the exit kiosk when departing.
Both forms of payment will result in a paper receipt being issued. At the new Administration Building parking facility at Broad and Court Streets, county employees only may park there from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Paid parking is available to the public at the Administration Building facility from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday morning through Friday night at a cost of 50 cents per hour.
On Saturdays, public parking will cost 50 cents per hour from midnight to 8 a.m., $1 per hour from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 50 cents from 5 p.m. to midnight.
Only credit cards can be used to pay for parking at the Administration Building parking facility.
The parking fee for anyone who loses a paper parking ticket from either facility will be $20.
Any county workers arriving without their employee ID badges will be required to obtain a paper parking ticket upon entry and to contact the Security Department to have the ticket validated before leaving the lot.
County workers who have been issued employee ID badges will be able to access parking at all hours by placing their badges against the entrance and exit kiosks of the lots.
Some visitors on official business with the county and courts will be able to have their tickets validated, thus waiving their fees to park. Those eligible for validations include:
-People summoned to serve on jury duty
-Police officers in uniform on official business with the District Attorney’s Office
-Victims and witnesses summoned by the District Attorney’s Office
-Police and other officials visiting the County Detectives regarding an active investigation or case
Clients and witnesses summoned by the Public Defender’s Office Validations are not authorized for:
-Non-profit organizations
-Personnel visiting the Justice Center to pick up or drop off evidence and/or subpoenas
-Family members
-General visitors and vendors
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The 1,000-spot Union Street Garage and the new, roughly $5 million 153-spot Administration Garage at Court and Broad streets in the county seat are getting paid parking due to the county looking to cover ongoing maintenance costs for the parking structures, officials have said.
The county in a statement said they spend an estimated $222,000 in annual maintenance costs for the garages.
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Over 2019 and 2020, the county is spending $820,000 with MAARV Waterproofing for preventative maintenance and specialized repairs on the Union Street Garage’s top two levels, Bucks County General Services Director Kevin Spencer said in March.
Since the four-level garage next to the Justice Center opened a decade ago, parking has been fee for visitors, staff, and those who need to use county government services. However, officials said when it opened, that they may one day begin charging for parking. That day appears to have arrived.
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