FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DECEMBER 3, 2008

The City of Glendale’s Traffic & Transportation Division this week installed state of the art multi-space parking meters on Brand Boulevard, between Colorado Street and Doran Street. The meters “went live” on Tuesday December 2.

These meters provide short-term parking along one of the City’s most traveled arterials. Two-hour parking is allowed along Brand Boulevard. Parking rates are priced at a premium of $1 per hour for the conveniently located parking spaces. A grace period for first-time violators is in effect during the extended hours of operation until January 2009. Lower parking rates are available at long-term lots and parking facilities in the vicinity.

Multi-space parking meters serve 8-10 parking spaces on–street and even more in parking lots. The new meters allow convenient payment options by coin or Visa, MasterCard/debit card. Users may also use their cell phone to pay and add time.

“Visitors seem to really like the new meters,” said Jano Baghdanian, Traffic & Transportation Division Administrator. “We are seeing people use credit cards and they are following all the steps including remembering their space number.”

Representatives from the Downtown Glendale Merchants Association, visitors, as well as the City’s Mobility Plan consultant recommended the installation of the multi-space parking meters on Brand Boulevard. The new meters are expected to increase the turnover of parking along Brand.

The new meters are easy to use. However, to assist users in becoming familiar with the meters, “Parking Ambassadors” wearing blue shirts are available on Brand Boulevard to answer questions and distribute an information brochure. The City is also running a Public Service Announcement, distributing posters for the downtown merchants and businesses to display and creating a dedicated website for one-stop information on the Downtown Parking Program. The dedicated website is www.glendaleparking.com .

“We are pleased with how well the installation of the meters and signage has gone,” says Steve Zurn, Director of Public Works. “Several Brand Boulevard businesses have already shared positive comments about the availability of short term parking for their customers.” Zurn added that City staff will continue to monitor the meter locations and the Ambassadors will be on hand for the coming days to assist new meter users.

The parking meter rates on Brand Boulevard are $1.00 per hour, Monday through Sunday, between the hours of 6AM and 10PM. Visitors have the new option of free parking in the Marketplace, Exchange and Orange Street Parking Facilities for 90-minutes. After the 90-minute free parking period an hourly rate is charged with a maximum daily rate of $6.00. By June 2009 it is anticipated that multi-space meters will replace single space meters in the downtown parking lots also.

For more information about the City’s multi-space parking meters, interested people should contact the Traffic & Transportation Division at 818-548-3860, option 4 or log on to www.glendaleparking.com .

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