TROY – Wrapped in black plastic and anchored around downtown, Troy's refurbished parking kiosks are ready to collect money for the city coffers

They just need someone to turn on the hardware and software inside them to finally complete the city's newest effort to regulate on-street parking in its historic downtown.

The city began its parking reboot in April, but it was halted by staff departures. Now, it's being kicked off again with the goal of getting the system functional by the end of the year. City officials hopes the return of metered parking stops drivers from leaving vehicles parked on downtown streets all day.

“We’re trying to get people to get back into the parking lots and garages to park,” Deputy Mayor Monica Kurzejeski said.

The city has pulled the parking kiosks off the streets around the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute campus and out of storage to create the downtown parking metered area that will be covered by more than 50 of the upgraded machines. The downtown parking district will be located along the streets bordered by the Hudson River to the west; State Street on the south; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Federal Street to the north.

This is the first major revamping of downtown parking since former Mayor Harry Tutunjian introduced the kiosks. The parking meter devices were not always placed on both sides of a street. The first locations were supposed to be a start with expansion coming later.

But the arrival of the kiosks in Monument Square, River Street and on other streets to blanket downtown has raised questions among property and business owners.

“Suddenly, they appeared without a lot of input from the public,” said Jim Scully, of the owner of Bacchus Wood-Fired at 33 Second St. He pointed out that many of the kiosks were scratched and looked beaten up.

“I wouldn’t want a meter put in front of my brownstone,” Scully said referring to the homes that fill up much of Second Street between Monument Square and State Street.

Kerry Fagan, who owns 27 Second St. and rents apartments, said he’s torn about the kiosks. He knows they’re needed as more people visit downtown to shop or dine in bars and restaurants.

“Parking is pretty tough at times. They’re kind of a good idea,” said Fagan, who owns Mark Thomas Men’s Apparel in Colonie.

“They have to consider where they put them. They shouldn’t be in the middle of a historic block,” said Fagan. He also suggested the city delineate the parking spaces throughout downtown as is done on some streets in an effort to create more on-street parking.

Councilman Anasha Cummings, whose 4th Council District includes downtown, said a lot of people in the neighborhood aren’t happy about the meters. Cummings said it’s a good idea to make better use of the spaces available in the city garages. He said he spoke to Mayor Patrick Madden about the city using the Fifth Avenue garage to store city-owned vehicles. He said the mayor promised he would look into it.

Kurzejeski said the city is waiting for Cale Parking, its contractor, to update the kiosks before the plastic-wrapped units are turned on. The kiosks will have to be fed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Drivers will be able to park for a maximum of two hours. The city will continue to offer free parking overnight in its garages. The fees remain $1 per hour at the meter; $8 daily in the garage; and $60 for a monthly parking pass in the garages.

The city expects parking revenues increase to $525,000 next year, according to the proposed 2019 city budget. The city budgeted $400,000 in parking fine collections for 2018. The city will have four part-time parking enforcement officers out on the streets in 2019. The city’s parking garage revenues are projected to stay at $350,000 and the lots to remain at $80,000.

Information about the city’s parking plans is available online at www.troyny.gov/parking