WPCNR THE PARKING NEWS. By White Plains CitizeNetReporters. May 30, 2006: Some people who parked without paying at on-street meters in downtown White Plains while attending Monday’s Memorial Day parade, and then decided to stay downtown for lunch and/or shopping after the prade, got more than they anticipated: parking tickets.
Holidays are not holidays from having to put money in on-street meters, according to a White Plains Parking Department spokesperson. The spokesperson first contacted by WPCNR originally told WPCNR that enforcement aids are instructed not to ticket cars at expired meters during parade hours on holidays. Once a parade ends, however, enforcement resumes. Howver that is not correct, explains Director of Parking, Al Moroni.
BRING QUARTERS ON HOLIDAYS TO SEE YOUR NEXT WHITE PLAINS PARADE: The regulation posted inside of each meter and on stickers below the coin slot is quite clear and highlighted in yellow and black ink(shown in photograph above), READING "PAYMENT REQUIRED 9 AM-9PM,MONDAY-SATURDAY, INCLUDING HOLIDAYS. Photo, WPCNR ParkCam
It is also possible that some people erroneaously assume that because some municipalities do not require payment at on-street parking meters on holidays, all municipalities follow that policy. White Plains doesn’t. It is worth remembering for the next holiday that, unless the holiday falls on Sunday, payment at on-street meters is required. Also payment in municipal garages is required 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Al Moroni, Director of Parking, contacted by WPCNR said the spokesperson was incorrect: “We enforce parking on all holidays,” Mr. Moroni told WPCNR. “The city cannot afford to give away free parking on holidays.” Photo, WPCNR NEWS ARCHIVE.
Asked if the Department of Parking had a “grace period,” Moroni, said “No, we do not. Some parade organizers, if they request them can receive parking passes authorizing free parking for the duration of the parade.” All others must feed the meter, Moroni said.
Moroni did not have a number on the number of parking tickets written on Memorial Day, but he assumed it was light because the city had a skeleton staff deployed.
More Strategic Deployment Considered
to Beef up Parking Enforcement
However in the conversation that followed the Director of Parking indicated that the Department of Parking is going to step up enforcement, after Mr. Moroni explained to WPCNR that Lieutenant Ron Rossi of the White Plains Department of Public Safety was the liaison officer supervising the Public Safety Aids, who were transferred to the Department of Parking. Mr. Moroni indicated the city is rethinking the hours of deployment of the Parking Enforcement Officers, in city garages and parking lots and other areas.
Moroni said presently only one police officer is charged with enforcing parking overnight (9 PM to 9 AM) in the 28 parking lots and municipal garages run by the city. He said that he, Moroni, and Lieutenant Rossi are taking “a closer look” at how the Department of Parking "staffs" its Parking Enforcement Officers “to provide more coverage in the overnight hours in the parking lots and garages.”
Moroni said this would not be limited to overnight deployment weekdays, that it could mean more Parking Enforcement Officers on the streets on Saturdays, but no decisions have yet been made on deployment and hours practices.
No Move to 24 Hour Parking Meters.
Asked if this meant White Plains was considering 24 hour enforcement of on-street parking in the future, extending current parking hours for meters, Moroni said the city was not. “That’s not even on the horizon.”
Asked if the Parking Enforcement Officer staff was going to be increased in the near future, Moroni said there were no plans to do that at this time.
“We’re taking a close look at (parking) posts, and seeing how we can achieve more balanced coverage (by Parking Enforcement Officers).” Moroni told WPCNR.
Quotas Denied. Performance to Be Looked At
Asked if Parking Enforcement Officers would be expected to meet quotas, Moroni said, “No quotas (per officer) are even being considered. We do not have quotas. We will be looking at productivity. If one officer writes 50 tickets an hour at one post, and another 20, we’re going to compare productivity.”
