ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The end is near.
The battle over parking problems in Royal Oak is close to a resolution.
Help Me Hank has learned the city will end its contract with MPS -- the parking meter company -- in about one year.
This comes after the city filed suit, hoping to get out of the contract. A trial was avoided and the case was settled.
What’s next? All the old meters need to be pulled out, and the city will search for a brand-new parking contract.
Meanwhile, there will be lots of public comment before a new deal is signed.
I love Royal Oak, but I personally have received a handful of tickets parking there during the last few years. These are tickets I know I received because of glitches to the system. Almost all of them were dismissed by the city.
In the suit filed earlier this year, the city is claiming a breach of contract by MPS related to glitches in the Sentry Mobile parking system the company first started operating in December 2021.
Business owners, residents, and visitors have had problems for years with the system, which has cameras that take pictures of license plate numbers. MPS mails tickets to violators, but the problems have been numerous over the years.
Glitches resulted in thousands of tickets being incorrectly given to people in Royal Oak after the system went live in December 2021. People universally disapproved of the back-up parking along Washington Road and were unhappy with the technology.
Last year brought changes to the system, such as allowing a 15-minute grace period at meters, and the maximum parking times were also increased from two to three hours.
A study done by the city pointed out many, many, many issues -- most importantly, 43% of those using the meters end up getting a violation either because they failed to pay within the first 15-minute grace period or stayed beyond the two-hour time limit.
Local business owners were also very disappointed in the system and reported a 20-50% decline in business.
I have covered this problem extensively. Click here for one of my most recent reports. I will be following this throughout the day and will have reaction from the city to share with you on Local 4 News.
Here’s a release from the city:
The City of Royal Oak is pleased to announce a mutually beneficial agreement with Municipal Parking Services (MPS) regarding our parking system. This agreement marks a significant step forward in our commitment to enhancing the parking experience for residents, visitors, and business owners.
“As Royal Oak continues to grow and evolve, so must our infrastructure. We’ve taken your feedback to heart, and we are committed to implementing a more effective solution that aligns with the needs and expectations of everyone in Royal Oak. To ensure that our parking system evolves with the needs of our community, we have begun the process of transitioning to a new parking system, a significant step towards providing the best parking solution for our residents, visitors, and businesses.” said Royal Oak Mayor Michael Fournier.
“As we look to the future, we’re excited to engage in a collaborative process where residents and business owners will have a voice in shaping a parking system that truly serves our vibrant community”.
We have come to an agreement that our contract with MPS will conclude on December 31, 2025, 15 months earlier than originally planned. This accelerated timeline allows us to explore new opportunities for parking solutions that align with our vision for downtown Royal Oak.
Effective August 1, 2024, the City will cease its $55,000 monthly payments to MPS, resulting in a substantial savings of $935,000 over the remaining contract period. This financial relief will enable us to reinvest in improving our parking infrastructure.
“With the feedback we’ve received, it’s clear that this is the outcome our community has been looking for,” said City Commissioner Brandon Kolo. “Our focus remains on ensuring that residents, businesses and visitors are best served by our parking system. As we move forward, we’re committed to finding a user-friendly solution that makes it easy for people to live, work, and play in Royal Oak.”
We have established provisions for the orderly removal of MPS equipment and continued access to essential data, ensuring a seamless transition as we move forward.
Michael Sophiea, Chairman of the Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority, expressed his support by stating: “The Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority fully supports the City Commission and the ROPD in their efforts to replace the current parking system in the Downtown District. We believe this action will help to rectify some of the issues that have arisen in the past. The DDA is excited about the opportunity to work with a new parking system that is extremely user-friendly. We hope this allows our residents and guests a more pleasurable experience when visiting Royal Oak.”
Throughout our partnership, MPS has been responsive to our concerns and has implemented several improvements, including updates to payment options. We appreciate their cooperation in addressing issues and working towards a resolution that benefits all parties involved.
“As a resident before becoming a City Commissioner, I fully supported the city’s efforts to make parking more convenient and enhance the overall experience of enjoying our vibrant downtown,” added City Commissioner Amanda Herzog. “While there have been challenges with the current system, the city’s objective remains the same—to make it easier for everyone to enjoy what Royal Oak has to offer. I’m looking forward to seeing a future resolution that benefits our residents, visitors, and businesses alike.”
As we move forward, we are excited to explore new avenues for parking management that incorporate the unique character of Royal Oak. Our goal is to provide a parking experience that is both robust and simple, catering to the varied needs of our residents and visitors.
This settlement allows us the time and resources to carefully research and implement a parking system that will best serve our community for years to come. We are confident that this transition will lead to significant improvements in our parking infrastructure.
The City of Royal Oak remains committed to transparency and will keep our community informed as we progress towards a more efficient and user-friendly parking system.