As promised in the March issue of the Hillsider, we at FHNA will do our best to keep you updated about the Area 9 parking permit renewal, or lack of it, for 2010. Those of you who were at the February General Membership Meeting will likely remember that Pete Little, Executive Director of the Parking Authority Baltimore City (“PABC”), committed to the attendees that many of the concerns cited at the meeting would be “fixed” in “a week and a half.”  This timescale has since been extended, with March 26th now being the deadline to make such “fixes”.  Until this date arrives it will be difficult to determine whether these corrections will be/have been made.
 
In relation to the issues associated with the PABC’s computer system, the on-line on website Investigative Voice posted the following article: “NO PARKING! – City councilmen, residents run out of patience with flawed parking-pass software” 

In the article Council President Young is quoted as saying “Councilman Reisinger told the [Parking Authority] Board to fix the program or scrap it within 30 days,” by the next board meeting, Young added, “and I agreed with him. The board was given 30 days’ notice as of their last meeting [February 17].”
 
Now, Mr. Little has confirmed to the FHNA that “…we are putting the RPP software and on-line services out to RFP.  Until a new service is selected and the transition is made, we will be utilizing T2″.   
 
It would seem that the PABC would like us to move forward and renew our passes with this flawed computer system despite the fact that the PABC clearly recognizes that the system does not meet the needs of the parking program and is preparing to begin seeking bids to replace it. 
 
The Community Representative from a neighboring South Baltimore area believes that perhaps as many as 250 improper passes have been issued for the neighborhood since the 1st January.  Undoubtedly the issue of so many erroneous passes within Area 9 would have an extremely negative affect on parking within our neighborhood, especially as at the moment there is no effective method in place to recall such permits once they have been issued.
 
We all know that the availability of on-street parking has a serious affect on our quality of life here in Federal Hill and a direct correlation with our house values.  The same can be said for the many other residential permit parking areas across the City.  Given the extremely slow progress being made on this issue it should come as no surprise that none of the Parking Authority staff or management live within a parking permit area.

 
Obviously this situation is extremely important to all of us here in Federal Hill.  The Federal Hill Neighborhood Association will continue to work with our Council Representatives and with Council President Young to try to get these problems resolved in a way that won’t leave a large number of improper passes sitting on our streets until next February.