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WHAT’S GOING ON With Those Poles on King Street? Paid Parking Throughout Downtown Only Months Away

As seen on Depot Street, poles for the parking meters have been installed. Full implementation of metered parking in Boone is still two to three months away. Photo by Ken Ketchie
As seen on Depot Street, poles for the parking meters have been installed. Full implementation of metered parking in Boone is still two to three months away. Photo by Ken Ketchie

By Jesse Wood

Jan. 9, 2015. As we’ve known for a while, paid parking throughout the entire downtown is coming to Boone. Now it looks like the implementation is only a few months away as officials with the town work with the contractor to finalize the plan.

Staff with the town’s Public Works Department were given the go ahead to drill holes for the poles in mid November. Poles have since been set, and now Public Works interim Director Eric Gustaveson said he is waiting for the decorative sleeves to be delivered along with meter heads that need to be programed.

“I believe in the next two months we’ll have everything installed,” Town Manager John Ward said.

While Ward said that the town is still developing a schedule for the entire project, he added that parking is estimated to cost $1 per hour on King Street – as it stands right now. While weekdays would operate on a one-hour limit to prevent college students from whipping to and from their 50-minute classes, Saturday would feature a two-hour limit. Sundays would still feature free parking.

The new meters can be feed with either coins or credit cards.

Queen Street will remain 50 cents per hour, while pays stations will be placed in the lot beside Town Hall and the lot across the street from the Lost Province Brewing Company on Depot Street.

The town has contracted with IPS Group Parking and Telecommunications for $216,839 for “all products and installation services rendered,” Ward said. He added that each month thereafter installation, the town will pay IPS $1,219 per month for software and meter management.

New signs will also be installed to alert the public of the new system, and stay tuned for the Downtown Boone Development Association to roll out a public information campaign before the new system is implemented.