JT parking kiosks go live Monday

Parking kiosks in downtown Jim Thorpe are set to go live on Monday.

Police Chief Joe Schatz said all the necessary training has been completed and everything is in place to begin using the solar-powered kiosks, which will replace the borough’s 77 coin-operated meters.

Butts Ticket Company installed the seven parking kiosk machines throughout Broadway, Hazard Square and Susquehanna Street, in late April and they have been covered up as the borough makes the transition.

“On Monday, there will be ambassadors here in town to help individuals get acclimated to the kiosks and, in particular, explain how the mobile app, Whoosh, that accompanies the machines, works,” Schatz said.

After motorists park, they can follow signs to the kiosk stations and pay with cash, quarters, credit card and debit card. Once the machine dispenses a ticket, the motorist can place it on their dash and be on their way.

“The nice thing is in addition to being able to use credit and debit cards, customers can add time from the Whoosh mobile phone application if they are out on the go,” Schatz said. “They no longer have to run back to the meter to feed it.”

The kiosks themselves cost $65,100 with signs, a scanner and other fees bringing the total tally to just over $81,000.

Out of that, the police department received a grant to cover $67,449.49, with the borough paying for the remaining $13,741.75.

Council voted last year to increase the cost of a downtown parking spot to $1.25 per hour for those paying with a credit or debit card, and $1 per hour for those using cash or coins.

According to borough officials, the move was made to help offset credit card company processing fees that the municipality will incur with the upcoming addition of parking kiosks downtown.

The minimum time selection will be an hour.

“The old meter mechanisms could then be sold or auctioned off,” Mayor Mike Sofranko said Thursday. “I know we have had a couple municipalities, including Lansford, that have expressed interest. That would be up to borough council how it wanted to handle that.”

Throughout next week, Jim Thorpe Public Works employees will be removing the old parking meters as well as erecting new parking signs.

For more information on the Whoosh app, or how to download it, visit https://www.whooshstore.com.

Anyone with questions on the kiosks are asked to contact the police department at 570-325-4995.