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Council debates free-event parking and ParkMobile rollout as staff weighs 2- vs. 3-hour limits
Summary
Council split Wednesday on whether to continue free parking for gallery walks and other special events after staff reported a cost of about $574 per hour for two gallery‑walk dates; the meeting also covered a ParkMobile app rollout that will enforce block-level time limits and a proposal to standardize town‑center meter limits at two or three hours.
Council members split over requests to extend free parking for two gallery‑walk events after staff tallied the cost at roughly $574 per hour (about $1,200 for both requested dates). "It would be $574 per hour. So the total for both gallery walks would be around $1,200," a staff member said when describing the fiscal impact.
Members debated the economic benefit to downtown businesses against lost parking revenue. Some councilors recommended continuing free parking for events that demonstrably draw visitors, while others urged treating garages and on‑street parking as borough functions that should recover their costs.
Separately, staff presented a proposal to update parking‑meter zones and to roll out ParkMobile (replacing FlowBird before June). The staff recommendation included making the town center a three‑hour maximum zone and the West Chester University area a four‑hour zone to accommodate evening classes. The ParkMobile system will enforce a block‑level maximum by license plate and will disallow paying beyond a block's maximum time.
Council asked staff to provide average‑stay data to determine whether a two‑hour or three‑hour limit is better. Staff agreed to return with the usage statistics and suggested discussing adjustments at the next meeting. One item (an August 2 special‑event free‑parking request on a Sunday) was tentatively moved to consent because on Sundays parking is already free.
Why it matters: parking policy affects downtown access, merchant revenues and traffic flow. The transition to ParkMobile will change how maximum stay limits are enforced and could push longer‑stay vehicles into garages.
What comes next: staff will compile average‑visit data, invite event organizers to the next meeting for specific free‑parking requests and return with a proposal comparing the 2‑hour and 3‑hour options and ParkMobile enforcement details.
