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Transportation director: app‑based parking, Blue Bikes expansion and Skipper funding gap
Summary
Director David Kacharski told committees the city moved away from costly parking kiosks in favor of app and meter payments, will explore regional Blue Bikes expansion now that cities no longer pay operations fees, and acknowledged Skipper’s funding shortfall as staff analyze usage data for replacement options.
David Kacharski, director of the Transportation Department, told the committees that the department is focused on parking operations, traffic calming and implementation of the city’s Safe Streets priorities.
Kacharski said the department removed many pay kiosks because replacement proved too costly and shifted to a combination of app‑based payments and traditional meters. He described the resident‑permit program and license‑plate recognition equipment the city purchased to support enforcement.
On micromobility, Kacharski said the new Blue Bikes agreement relieves cities of monthly operations fees and opens the possibility of expanding the dock network and partnering with neighboring communities. “Not having to pay those operations fees is I think will open it up and make us more of a hub,” he said.
Skipper service: Kacharski acknowledged Skipper’s financial issues and said staff will mine trip data to identify employer, institutional or route patterns that could support a replacement model or targeted subsidies.
Committee action: The committee recommended the transportation personnel budget ($1,399,754) and expenditures ($452,210); both motions passed with five hands in favor. Kacharski said staff will continue to coordinate design work for Complete Streets projects and to prioritize tactical traffic measures that can be funded with on‑call consulting and capital design work.
What comes next: Transportation will provide follow‑up materials on Skipper usage and Blue Bikes expansion options and continue design work for corridor projects included in the Safe Streets action plan.
