Newport Daily News "Now You Know"

[MapmanNo1]

From the 12/11/2006 Daily News:

Now you know: Introducing a new Newport Daily News feature

Are you curious about something in your neighborhood or your community?

The Daily News wants to help you get answers.

Starting in January, the paper will launch a weekly feature, called 'Now You Know,' based on questions from readers. Whether it's a new development or an old eyesore, we will find out what's happening or who is responsible.

Send your questions (and contact information, in case we need to follow up) by e-mail to [email protected], fax to 849-3306, mail to The Newport Daily News, c/o 'Now You Know,' P.O. Box 420, Newport, RI 02840 or drop off at the newsroom, 101 Malbone Road.

[MapmanNo1]

NDN Now You Know: Newport Parking Meters [1/10/2006]

The Daily News talked with Director of Administrative Services Ned Draper and City Collector Joseph Crawshaw.

The city collects an average of $430,000 annually from parking meters. The city also operates a parking garage and parking lots, with the biggest revenue-producing facilities being the Gateway Visitors Center garage and lot and the Mary Street lot. The parking facilities will bring in an estimated $595,000 this fiscal year. The city collected $994,579 from parking tickets in fiscal 2006, according to city Collector Joseph Crawshaw. The fine for a parking violation went up from $15 to $25 in the summer of 2005.

Draper said all the money collected from parking meters and facilities goes into a parking enterprise fund. This fund pays for the operation and maintenance of the parking facilities and the costs of parking enforcement, including the enforcement of the resident-sticker program. If the city decides to build a parking garage on Mary Street, the parking fund would pick up those capital costs annually and would go into the red temporarily, Draper said. While the parking fund covers parking-related operations and enforcement, parking-ticket revenue goes into the city's general fund, Crawshaw said.

[dgreco]

^if it is something that will help, I think it should be done, but it seems like they are making out pretty well as far as the system goes now.

[MapmanNo1]

^if it is something that will help, I think it should be done, but it seems like they are making out pretty well as far as the system goes now.

[dgreco]

the parking garage.

[MapmanNo1]

the parking garage.

[dgreco]

The Mary Street Garage isn't an issue of making more money - it's an issue of available summertime parking. I think the city is pretty committed to building a garage there.