Accomplishments

About:
The Yonkers Parking Authority (Authority or YPA) under Mr. Michael J. Dalton, Executive Director, operates as an independent public benefit corporation, which under civil service laws maintains over 3,000 street meters and forty parking facilities throughout the City of Yonkers. The policies for the Authority are set by a Board of Directors consisting of a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and two members. The Authority works very closely with business associates and Business Improvement District (BID) members and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce.

Achievements:
The Yonkers Parking Authority has been recognized for integrating cutting edge technology that has been both cost effective and user friendly for the citizens of Yonkers. The Authority is responsible for rehabilitating approximately twenty parking facilities in Yonkers and was the first to independently secure two bonds in Westchester County: The 1994 bond with a term maturity of December 2005 and a 1999a bond with a term maturity of June 15, 2018 and June 15, 2024. The Authority was also the first to implement the free ten minute button on single space meters as a convenience to parkers. The YPA was acknowledged for this achievement and received various awards from the National Parking Association (NPA), the International Parking Institute (IPI) and the New York State Parking Authority (NYSPA).

Operations:
The Yonkers Parking Authority operates by using multilevel departments in order to remain self-sufficient. The YPA graphics department produces high quality signage in the downtown area for the City of Yonkers and BID members. The counting department provides totals of coins collected from meters daily; the maintenance and meter repairmen handle most in house and parking revenue repairs. The Authority is the first in Yonkers to incorporate high tech security surveillance cameras with “Cernium” software that pick up unusual movements which offer security to parkers, and contribute to quality of life issues. Cameras were installed in over half of the parking facilities maintained by the Authority and are manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week by the YPA security staff. In the near future, the Authority will expand its security cameras to forty facilities.

Staff/Training:
Yonkers Parking Authority employs a diverse workforce that has the opportunity to grow professionally through training offered by the Authority. In March 2007, YPA employees receive training to become state certified security officers. In addition, the Maintenance Department, Collections and Meter Repairmen as well as the Administrative Staff have gone to various workshops are always encouraged to take exams offered by the City of Yonkers civil service department. The Authority hires several volunteers from the Youth Employment Center during the summer to help with the busy season ahead with the re-striping and clean-up of the lots.

Looking Ahead:
The Authority has upgraded its website and permit systems in the early fall of 2007 to enable customers to renew their permits online allow them access to calendar events, information on equipment upgrades and parking facility vacancies and projects.

Customers will now be able to view all parking facility schematics which were created by two top senior engineering students from Saunders High School class of 2006, later additions and revisions were made by a top 2007 graduate of Saunders High School.

The Authority has created a solution to prevent non-paying parkers from copying permit tickets by the use of special paper that cannot be duplicated. This will reduce the number of non-paying parkers. This solution will give all parkers a chance to use the parking facilities which are often full.
With new development such as Ridge Hill, The Yonkers Minor League Ball Park and the completion of Xavier’s Restaurant in the downtown area, the Yonkers Parking Authority anticipates operating approximately 6,000 new parking spaces and constructing new parking facilities in the near future. The Authority has installed multi-space units with dollar bill and credit card acceptors in Larkin Plaza and will install additional units in various areas downtown.

Conclusion:
The Executive Director, Michael J. Dalton openly discusses YPA plans with his staff during weekly meetings and is open to new and effective ways to satisfy City of Yonkers parkers.