parking

People in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine will begin seeing a lot more of the streetcar.  

City spokesman Rocky Merz said it is the burn-in phase of the project. Each of Cincinnati's five streetcar vehicles will have to log 500 kilometers on the tracks before they can be certified for service. Streetcar employee and driver training will occur after the burn-in period.  

It looks like people using Cincinnati parking meters will be able to pay with a smartphone app starting sometime in July.  

A Council committee heard that update Monday.  

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley used his veto power for the first time Wednesday to kill an Over-the-Rhine parking permit plan that council had passed on a five-to-four vote.

A Cincinnati city council committee voted 3-1 Monday to charge Over-the-Rhine residents $108 a year for parking spaces.

The charge would apply to 450 parking spaces in the neighborhood.

Cincinnati recently changed some parking meter rates in parts of Downtown and Over-the-Rhine.  
 

It is part of a contract with the Xerox Company to help analyze the city's parking assets.  City officials are reviewing that data and using it to price meters.  

Community and Economic Development Director Oscar Bedolla said smartphone technology is coming soon.

Cincinnati is increasing parking meter rates in parts of Downtown and Over-the-Rhine starting Tuesday.  The city released the information Thursday along with a map highlighting the changes.  

City Manager Harry Black said the new rates reflect "dynamic pricing."

“We can look at usage across the city, and as a result, we can make pricing decisions on demand that allows us to achieve our revenue goals while at the same time meeting the parking needs of the public,” Black said.

Starting Friday, parking meter rates increase in Over-the-Rhine and you'll have to pay to park longer in the evening there and in Downtown.  

Hours of operation will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.  

In addition, the meter rate in OTR will increase to a $1 per hour.  The Downtown price remains $2 per hour.  

Cincinnati officials said the city is owed about $12 million from unpaid parking tickets dating back to 2005.  But they admit only about half that amount is potentially collectable.  

Finance Director Reggie Zeno said the city does a good job collecting tickets issued to drivers with Ohio license plates.

“We currently are collecting up to 85%, which is a pretty significant collection rate within the state,” Zeno said.  “However the collection rate for non-Ohio tickets are only approximately 60%.”

Cincinnati is going to spend nearly $2 million to install more parking meters that accept credit cards in addition to coins.  

City Council approved the item Wednesday.

The so called smart meters are already in place in much of downtown.  The additional funding could bring them to more neighborhood locations.

The meter purchases were part of a plan Council approved earlier this year that officially killed a parking lease arrangement the city had negotiated with the Greater Cincinnati Port Authority.

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley is asking council members to sign off on a motion related to the parking lease with the Greater Cincinnati Port Authority. The measure is currently circulating among council members. It would make major changes to the original plan between the city and the port.

Cranley could publicly release details of the plan Wednesday.

The residents who opposed Cincinnati's controversial parking lease are asking the Ohio Supreme Court to hear the case.  

Attorneys filed a notice of appeal Monday and a motion asking for an expedited schedule for the matter.  

In June, the Ohio First District Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Cincinnati on the proposed parking lease to the Port Authority.  In a two-to-one opinion the panel said the lease agreement Council passed in March is not subject to a voter referendum, because it was passed as an emergency ordinance.  

Update 6/17/13 9:50 PM:  Hamilton County Judge Robert Winkler signed an order Monday dissolving permanent injunction in the Cincinnati parking lease case.  Judge Winkler also entered a judgment in favor of the city and against the plaintiffs.  Costs to be paid by plaintiffs. With permanent injunction dissolved, city officials should have "green light" to sign the parking lease agreement with the Port Authority.

Cincinnati lawyers are making two major arguments as the city appeal’s a judge’s decision that let opponents of the parking lease place the issue on the November ballot.  

In a brief filed Friday with the Ohio First District Court of Appeals city lawyers argued the trial court erred by declaring that all city ordinances are subject to referendum and that the plaintiffs have standing to bring their claims. 

Not surprisingly the attorneys who successfully challenged the Cincinnati parking lease in court are opposed to the city's request for a judge to stay his decision from last month.  

Lawyers Curt Hartman and Chris Finney filed a response in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Thursday.  

A Hamilton County judge is extending a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing Cincinnati officials from signing a proposal to lease most of the city's parking facilities to the Port Authority.  

Judge Robert Winkler issued the order Wednesday extending the TRO until April 3.