Over the weekend, I read the story in the Contra Costa Times that Walnut Creek’s three city-owned parking garages are going to go fully automated starting next month. This means that electronic pay stations will replace human attendants.
According to the Times, as a motorist using one of the garages, you will pick up a yellow plastic parking token as you drive in and park. You will be able to get that token validated at about 70 local restaurants and businesses. Then, when you are done eating, shopping, or going to a show at the Lesher Center, you will take that token, embedded with a computer chip and programmed to calculate in your validation, to a pay station. You will insert the token and pay your fee--with cash, coin, or credit card. Then you will insert the token into an exit machine when you leave.
But you have the choice to avoid the token and validation system by swiping a credit card to enter and exit the garage.
Walnut Creek’s public services department tells the Times that this automated parking system—which costs $216,000 a year, the same amount the city save annually by using it—will be “easier, more efficient, and provide options for payment.”
But I wondered.
Like me, many of you have probably encountered these automated systems in public garages elsewhere in the Bay Area, notably San Francisco. Yes, these systems, with their pay stations, can work very well. They can definitely spare you some time, waiting in line of cars behind some driver, who is searching for the bills in his wallet to pay the human parking attendant.
On the other hand, I’ve also visited these garages when the system doesn’t quite work as well as it should. A pay station is broken. Or, a line forms behind people who are struggling to figure out how to use the stations. Maybe a crowd of people hit all the pay stations at once, which I could see happening in the North Locust Street garage when several shows at the Lesher Center let out at around the same time.
I thought it would be nice to know that there would be a human being around, to whom drivers could go or call, in case a pay station or exit machine is broken, they are having trouble figuring out how to work the machines, or there are lines to pay. The story only mentioned that some garage attendants would lose their jobs, but that some would stay on to help people use the new machines.
But how would exactly would these human beings stay around to help? At all hours of the day and night? This automated system will allow the garages to be open 24 hours a day.
I know I'd be pretty annoyed if it's late at night, and I can't get my car out of one of the damned garages because the automated system has a glitch in it. And I can't find someone immediately to help out.
I checked in with Gayle Vassar, the city’s community relations manager, and she kindly got me some of the answers I was looking for. Here is her response:
While we are reducing staff, the new staffing model includes a manager and cashier/office assistant at the North Locust Garage. In addition, two customer service "rovers" will be available to respond to customer's calls for assistance (via intercoms). Even at 3 a.m., someone will be available to respond to customer calls or inoperable equipment. Also, we plan to have parking ambassadors for the first couple of months following installation to help with the learning curve.
She adds that much of this information is now available on the city's new handy dandy parking website.
10 comments:
Why not hire the chatty, friendly homeless guys to staff the parking garages? We'd save a lot of money.
Bring back VB!
I would hate for people to lose their jobs. Every time someone loses their job it creates a massive hole. Unemployment funds would need to be paid and someone will have to find another job. Replacing people with machines is a tragedy. It seems like so many people are losing their jobs to machines or outsourcing.
If only we could reach a happy medium. Employ people at decent wages and also offer friendly and efficient service. Machines will always frustrate some people and work fine with other people.
I am no expert on Parking Garage pay systems, but a million $$$ for a parking garage system? Did I read that right? $216K per year for five years?
Seems like a metal box, housing a couple of computers, credit card reader, and money changer. Oh, I guess that little mechanical arm deal. An internet connection too. So that is a million dollars?
For my part everyone ought to glance at it.
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Unemployment funds would need to be paid and someone will have to find another job. Feeling bad for people. NIce Share, keep on sharing interesting things.
modern machines have replaced human force on a huge scale. i pay pity to the ones to the ones who suffer because of such things.Secure Car Parking Luton
That is quite tragic to loose a job just because humans are replaced by machines but the reality is machine is a need of modern era. anyhow for secure car parking there are many other companies providing the quality service with safety at reasonable prices. and so
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Machines has produce resentment in the lives of poor guys in case of unemployment. Is that automated system will allow the garages to be open 24 hours a day and secure like gatwick parking deals .
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