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CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL, ACCEPTANCE, REJECTION, AMENDMENT, AND/OR POSTPONEMENT OF AUTHORIZATION FOR THE PURCHASE OF UPGRADES TO THE CAMPUS CORNER PARKING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FROM FLOWBIRD IN THE AMOUNT OF $107,506 AND BUDGET APPROPRIATION FROM THE CAPITAL FUND BALANCE AS OUTLINED IN THE STAFF REPORT
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BACKGROUND: During the fall of 2012, staff was working with the Campus Corner Merchants on an upgrade to the existing coin-only single space parking meter system. The IPS system was selected because it "checked all of the boxes" for the Campus Corner Merchants. The Campus Corner Merchants desired a system that would offer multiple payment options and would encourage turnover of the parking spaces to discourage all-day use. The IPS system offered payment by credit cards, debit cards, and coins. The system could also be expanded to provide a pay-by-cell service and a validation system whereby an area merchant could pay for their patrons parking. In addition, the IPS system boasted of an in-pavement sensor that would sense when a vehicle entered a parking space and would automatically reset the meter when a vehicle exited the space. The IPS system was operational on Campus Corner on August 1, 2013.
DISCUSSION: Over the next two years, staff, either at the Traffic Control Division or at Municipal Court, began to receive complaints regarding the meters resetting. The pavement sensors proved to be unreliable. While IPS offered other options, none were found to be effective.
In the meantime, the pay-by-cell mobile payment option was proving to be very successful in our Gray Street Municipal Parking Lot. IPS was approached about activating pay-by-cell at the Campus Corner meters and it turned out that they did not offer that service in-house; they would have to use a third party in order to make this service available. Staff reasoned that since the University of Oklahoma (OU) was using the same parking provider as the City was using in its Gray Stree...
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