OVER-THE-RHINE, Ohio – Parking in Over-the-Rhine could become more costly if you don’t pay immediately, as the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) introduces new technology to ensure compliance in its parking lots.
The system, currently in use at the lot on the corner of Liberty and Race streets and two other locations, employs cameras to monitor vehicles and issue fines for non-payment.
Parking in Over-the-Rhine could become more costly if you don’t pay immediately, as the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) introduces new technology to ensure compliance in its parking lots.
Drew Klein, a frequent parker in Over-the-Rhine, shared his experience with the new system.
“I think I was nine or 10 minutes late picking up my car. I paid for an hour, and I was a little past that. I got a ticket in the mail maybe two months later, and it had my plate, and it had a fine for, I believe, $65 with a date to pay before the price went up,” Klein said.
Joe Rudemiller, 3CDC’s Marketing & Communications Vice President, explained the rationale behind the technology.
“The goal of this is to just ask people to pay for the parking. If they’re parking in the lot, pay for that. What we found is that a lot of people were not doing that. So, we implemented these cameras to see if that would help with the compliance, and it did,” Rudemiller said.
Previously, 3CDC employed attendants to monitor the lots, but they could only check a few times a day. The new cameras provide 24-hour coverage, allowing for more consistent enforcement. Rudemiller noted that fines can still be appealed.
“People contact us all the time about their parking issues or if they feel like payment was wrong. And so, we handle those on a case-by-case basis. We’re willing to talk to anybody. If they feel like they did pay or if they’ve misconstrued something,” Rudemiller said.
While there is signage warning of potential fines, Klein suggested that more prominent signs could also be beneficial.
Parking in Over-the-Rhine could become more costly if you don’t pay immediately, as the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) introduces new technology to ensure compliance in its parking lots.
“Selfishly, for people like me, yeah, I think it would help a lot just because I’d be a little more wary about it. If I had known, I probably would have left 10 minutes earlier to avoid that,” Klein said.
A 15-minute grace period is in place, allowing drivers to leave without penalty if they decide not to park. The technology is set to be implemented in all seven 3CDC lots across the city by the end of summer.
Rudemiller added that towing is reserved for extreme cases where drivers have accumulated numerous unpaid fines.
