The city of Columbia’s six parking garages will get new gate arm systems in April, which city officials are hoping will increase revenue and cut down on parking violations.

The Columbia City Council approved spending $930,000 on gate arm systems from HUB Parking Technologies USA during its meeting Monday. Currently, the city’s Plaza Garage located near city hall is the only garage with a gate arm.

Drivers parking in the other garages pay for parking with a permit or on an hourly rate. Gate arms would eliminate the need for the part-time parking attendant who currently hands out tickets for those without permits or don't pay the hourly rate.

Construction of the gate arms are expected to be completed in February or March, said Drew Brooks, the city’s transit and parking manager. With the gate arms and new parking technology, drivers will be able to pay by credit card at the exit. They will also be able to pay by cash or the CoMo Park Card at payment machines on the first floors of the garages.

Brooks said purchasing and installing the gate arms was a recommendation of a previous parking task force as a way to standardize access to all the city’s parking garages.

Brooks said he didn’t have an exact number on the amount of revenue the gate arms will bring into the parking utility fund, but HUB Parking Technologies expects a 10 percent revenue increase based on its previous projects. City garages are expected to generate more than $1.9 million in fiscal year 2018, which ends Sept. 30, according to the city’s 2018 budget.

The garages currently miss out on revenue when drivers park without paying for parking and are not ticketed.

Not associated with the gate arms project, the council approved increasing parking permits by $20 at the Plaza Garage and the Eighth and Cherry Street Garage in September when it approved the 2018 budget. The additional revenue will go toward elevator repairs needed in the garages, which are the two oldest in the city, Brooks said. All other parking garage permits were increased by $5, which will fund a residential parking program.

The technology included in the gate arms purchase will also collect data for the city, allowing staff to better understand how frequently the garages are used, Brooks said. The data will help the city decide whether adequate parking exists downtown, he said.

Second Ward Councilman Michael Trapp said he was supportive of the gate arm purchase and “hit home by the fact” that the city lacks data on parking downtown.

“One uniform system encourages people to use garages and get rid of perception parking is hard to find downtown,” he said.

More information could also help the city designate what spots are used by drivers taking up spaces for multiple days, which is referred to as nesting, Brooks said. These drivers could be designated to upper levels of the parking garages, which would increase convenience for drivers more frequently going in and out of the garages.

In addition to the gate arms, the city also purchased a warranty and extra equipment in anticipation of damages. Brooks said if the city performs proper maintenance on the gate arms, they could last 15 to 20 years.

bruess@columbiatribune.com

573-815-1722