Passes which will allow users to park in six municipal lots where paid parking is expected to begin next month are set to go on sale on the city of Kingston’s website and by mail on Monday, Aug. 14. The $10 passes will allow holders to park in the lots without paying a 75 cents-per-hour fee. The passes are valid through Dec. 31, 2017.
The city is expected to install payment kiosks in lots on North Front Street, Schwenk Drive, Cornell Street, Prince Street and Dock Street later this month. City officials plan to activate the kiosks sometime in September, bringing to an end the city’s long history of offering free parking. Mayor Steve Noble introduced the idea of an annual pass after his proposal to meter the lots drew strong criticism from residents and business owners Uptown.
Noble’s spokeswoman Megan Weiss-Rowe said this week that passes would be available for purchase beginning Monday, Aug. 14. Users can buy the permits online or by mail using an application available at City Hall’s self-service kiosk. Applicants will be asked to provide information including the make and model, plate number and registration number of their vehicle. Each pass is only valid for a single vehicle. Permits only apply to vehicles that weigh less than 18,000 pounds and occupy a single space in the lots. The passes are not available to anyone with unpaid parking tickets and may be revoked for violating snow ordinances and other parking lot rules.
The passes expire at the end of the year. It remains unclear whether the program will continue in 2018 or whether the price of the annual passes will rise. Noble has scheduled a series of public meetings next month to solicit public input on how to address parking issues in the 2018 budget.
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