Parking Tech To Get Dedham Square Pilot Run

DEDHAM, MA — Expect to see new parking technology around Dedham Square in the near future.

The selectmen recently gave the ok for a parking pilot program in the area. The vote came after a presentation from John Sisson, the town’s director of economic development.

The move comes following a town workshop on Dedham Square parking and discussions among several town departments for a solution. Sisson said the vendor, Municipal Parking Services of Minnesota, wants to pilot 12-24 high tech meters at no cost to the town. The smaller meters cover two spots and help the town reach its goal of removing visual clutter.

“We know we need to manage parking better than it’s being managed today,” Sisson said.

The move would represent the first major change to parking in Dedham Square in over a decade. The current parking situation consists of the free lot right off of Providence Highway, traditional meters, and kiosks for numbered-spaces. Sisson said the parking workshop made it clear that some people simply do not know what to do when they approach the kiosks on High Street.

“Just spend some time in (Dedham Square) and people still come up after all these years and try to figure out this technology. Seems like our ship has come in here with new technology to give us a trial run,” Selectman Dennis Teehan said.

Selectman Michael Buter noted that the current system was designed during the Great Recession, when daytime parking was the priority.

The new system includes an app that allows people to pay for their parking space and pay by EZ Pass.

Sisson said he would return at a future meet to discuss the implementation of the pilot.

Image Credit: Dan Libon/Patch