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Politics & Government

5 Things You Need to Know About Parking

Those quarters you feed into Morristown's meters really add up.

One of the best things about living in Morristown is that there is so much to do that is potentially within walking distance. You don't have to drive to pick up milk and bread, grab a coffee or dinner out, or see a movie or a play. That saves you gas and helps the environment, not to mention the walking keeps you healthier. But sometimes you take the car anyway because it's a little too far or cold or wet.  So you've got to drop quarters in the meter, or get your ticket at the garage, paying 50 cents here, $2 there. As the saying goes, soon you've got real money. And that's exactly what the Morristown Parking Authority has. The authority on Tuesday night discussed its revenue for 2010 and so...

Here are 5 things you need to know today about parking revenue in Morristown.

1. You need to know those coins and bills really do add up, and they added up to even more in 2010 than the year before. According to the parking authority's data, the agency took in almost $4.58 million in total revenue from all sources, including parking and permits, in 2010. That represented an increase of $15,519 over 2009.

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2. You need to know that the garages take in more money than the meters. That makes sense. It's more expensive to park -- of course your vehicle also is protected from the elements -- and people who use them may be spending more time parked there. The three garages, DeHart, Dalton and Ann/Bank, took in more than $81,000 in December of 2010. The meters, on the other hand, brought in slightly more than half that: $43,635.

3. You need to know that the Dalton Street Garage is the most profitable. It got $47,365 in revenue in the last month of last year. That's more than half of the total revenue from the garages. Dalton Street by itself also outperformed all the meters in town.

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4. You need to know that on-street meters bring in more money than those in the lots. People do like to park as close as possible to their destinations. Last December, the on-street meters ate $29,260 in change. The eight metered lots took in  $14,374 during the same time period.

5. You need to know there's close to a tie for the most profitable lots. The Morris Street U.S. Post Office lot had a slight edge, with $5,557, over the Vail-South Street lot, with $5,355 in December 2010. By contrast, the meters in the Sussex Avenue lot by Grant Street received only $27.75 in change that month. The lot at Speedwell and Flagler also took in less than $100.

You may not need to know this, but I thought I'd add that I've been contributing to the MPA revenue myself recently in conjunction with my guest editing stint this week. It's been fun. And I turn it back over to the hopefully rested John Dunphy.

 

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