Parking garages and lots in downtown East Lansing could soon offer discounts for students and part-time employees as soon as fall semester and allow people to pay for parking by credit card.
The parking department of East Lansing is working on a proposal about the new equipment to present to City Council in the next couple of weeks, said parking administrator Dan O'Connor. The proposal has to be approved by the parking task force, which could happen later this week, before it can go to City Council.
New equipment could allow credit card payment and possible discounts. Also, a machine could replace one of the toll booths in six of the attended downtown parking garages and lots.
Parking downtown currently costs anywhere from 50 to 60 cents per half hour.
It's not yet known what the potential discounted rates could be.
O'Connor said the department is looking to sell passes by the day, week and month, and monthly permit holders would be able to renew their passes online with no fee. Currently, monthly pass holders must pay extra money to renew their passes online.
"A lot of people come and think they can use credit cards and checks and then we have to fill out 'pay laters'," said parking attendant Brad Ackerman. "It seems like (the machine) would save a step."
The "pay laters" are a slip that allows parkers to pay for their parking by credit card or check within seven days.
City Councilmember Kevin Beard said it's likely the parking proposal will pass.
"(The machines have) worked pretty well where they already have them in place in the lot at Evergreen and Abbott, next to CVS," Beard said. "If this is a way where we can cut some of the overhead in the system and make it easier for people to pay for their parking, I think that's to everybody's advantage."
The proposal may also include replacing gate equipment and cash registers and will cost about $950,000, O'Connor said. But the machine would save the city about $30,000 every year in labor costs, he said.
Some worry there will be layoffs, but O'Connor said layoffs won't be necessary.
"We usually have enough turnover that we would just not hire new people," O'Connor said. "We have a lot of turnover at the end of (each) semester."
Money currently made by the parking garages goes straight to salaries of employees, cleaning and maintenance of the garage.
O'Connor said there are no profits.
A portion of money from parking tickets goes to the parking department.
"We are cheaper than all the lots on campus," O'Connor said.
Campus meters charge 25 cents to 80 cents per half hour.
Ackerman said he'll be sad to see some of the parking attendant jobs disappear if the proposal passes.
"There aren't as many jobs like this where you can study and work," Ackerman said. "It's a good job, and I love it. Sometimes you want to get out of the little box — but I've read like 100 books this year."
