Parking meter upgrades increase accessible parking options for people with disabilities in Fells Point and Harbor East
The Parking Authority of Baltimore City (PABC), in partnership with the Mayor’s Officeon Disabilities, launched Phase 2 of ProjectSPACE in Harbor East and Fells Point today. Phase 2 of ProjectSPACE increases the availability of on-street parking and decreases thefts and abuse of disability placards. ProjectSPACE reserves on-street parking spaces for people with disabilities in metered areas. PABC has installed accessible single-space meters at these reserved spaces and has retrofitted existing multi-space EZ Park kiosk meters to meet most current American with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. In doing so, payment is now required from everyone parking at ADA accessible meters, including people with disabilities that were exempt from using the older, less-accessible crank-turn meters.
ProjectSPACE Phase 2 is approximately defined as the streets bounded by Eastern Avenue (North), Wolfe Street (East), Thames Street (South) and Inner Harbor water near Pier Six (West). Phase 2 reserves approximately 70 on-street parking spaces for vehicles displaying disability placards or tags and reconfigures approximately 95 multi-space EZ Park kiosk meters to meet the most-current ADA standards. These meters provide people with disabilities accessible on-street parking anywhere within the areas where ProjectSPACE has launched. Payment is required at both types of meters. The cost to park using a disability placard or tags is consistent with the cost to park without a disability placard or tags. All time limits for on-street parking spaces within ProjectSPACE have increased to four hours to give people with disabilities additional time to get to and from their destination.
ProjectSPACE is part of an ongoing, long-term solution to a major parking problem in Baltimore City. Current policy in all areas of the city except for the Central Business District (Phase 1), Harbor East (Phase 2), and Fells Point (Phase 2) allow individuals displaying a disability placard or license plates to park on-street at meters free of charge, often resulting in illegal use by motorists parking for long periods of time and theft of disability placards. Disability placards were the number one item stolen out of motor vehicles before ProjectSPACE launched. By removing the financial incentive to park on-street all day and free of charge, PABC increases parking turnover and, ultimately, makes it easier for everyone to find an available parking spaces in Baltimore City.
Each phase of ProjectSPACE introduces highly accessible parking meters to a designated area of the city. ProjectSPACE will continue to expand in phases to Federal Hill, Mount Vernon and beyond. For more information on ProjectSPACE, visit www.MoreSpace4All.com and join us on Facebook and Twitter.
ABOUT THE PARKING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY:
Parking Authority of Baltimore City (PABC) is a quasi-governmental agency of Baltimore City and a registered 501c3 with a mission to find, or create, and implement parking solutions for Baltimore City, and to be the resource on all things "parking" in Baltimore. PABC oversees the management of 17 parking garages, numerous lots, over 800 EZ Park Meters, over 1,500 reserved residential handicap parking spaces, and 46 residential permit parking areas.
ABOUT THE MAYOR’S COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES:
The Mayor's Commission on Disabilities was created by the City of Baltimore Ordinance #93-237 to promote equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities. The Commission assists the City in assessing the accessibility of city facilities, programs and services for citizens with disabilities; providing information and education programs to city government, businesses and industries concerning issues relevant to citizens with disabilities; and complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
