New Canaan parking commission upholds Elm Street tickets after residents complain about rollout

The New Canaan Parking Commission voted unanimously Feb. 4 to uphold a series of parking tickets issued on Elm Street, after hearing appeals from residents and merchants who said they were unaware of the town’s new paid-parking rollout or experienced app problems.

During the meeting, several appellants described different problems. One long-time resident said he and his wife of 35 years did not know Elm Street moved to paid parking and did not see signage. Caroline Burke told the commission she could not complete payment because the pay-by-phone app rejected her credit card during account setup. Christina, who identified herself as a Whitney shop worker, said customers and employees struggled with kiosks and that lines at terminals made quick trips difficult; she said she would pay the ticket but called the overall experience “ridiculous.”

Stacy, speaking for the parking bureau, acknowledged there were earlier technical issues — including a banking-related problem — that affected some machines but said the problems were corrected and that machines were functioning as of Jan. 7. She gave the commission a breakdown of transactions for Jan. 7–Feb. 2 across payment methods (pay-by-phone, Passport and ParkMobile) and said “a total for that time period on Elm Street of 6,079 transactions through all of our payment methods.” Stacy also reported 406 tickets issued on Elm Street during that same Jan. 7–Feb. 2 window.

Commissioners pressed on visibility and outreach. They noted the town offers monthly newsletters and a website notification sign-up, and urged clearer communications to merchants and occasional visitors. Commissioners also discussed whether increased turnover or an early surge in citations was attributable to staffing shortages, winter weather and the timing of enforcement; Stacy said staffing gaps and the system transition likely influenced year-over-year citation counts.

After discussing each appeal in turn — including a no-show appellant (Pam Al Alberino), the Whitney-shop appellant, Caroline Burke (card/app error), an out-of-town visitor who said he missed signs, and the long-time resident — the commission concluded the violations were enforceable and voted to uphold the tickets. The meeting record shows the votes were unanimous. The commission instructed staff to notify appellants of the decisions by email or phone.

Stacy introduced Kevin O'Connor as a successor who will appear to the commission in March and said staff would provide more granular monthly comparisons going forward. The meeting adjourned after commissioners thanked Stacy for her work and wished her well.

Why it matters: The meeting highlighted the transition costs for a paid-parking program — both technical (apps, kiosks and an early banking issue) and communicative (reaching long-time residents and occasional visitors). Residents and merchants described customer friction and confusion, while parking staff pointed to usage data showing substantial voluntary compliance. The commission’s actions underscore a policy choice to enforce parking rules while promising additional outreach and data reporting.

Quotes (selected): “a total for that time period on Elm Street of 6,079 transactions through all of our payment methods,” Stacy said of Jan. 7–Feb. 2 usage. “This is ridiculous,” Christina, a Whitney shop worker, said of the rollout’s effects on customers and employees.

What’s next: Staff will notify appellants of the commission’s decisions; the parking bureau will provide more detailed monthly reports and follow up on outreach to businesses. Kevin O’Connor, the incoming marketing manager, is scheduled to appear at the commission’s March meeting.