Huge parking garage finally gets some business
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After two years, business is picking up a bit at the Port Authority's and Western Pennsylvania's biggest parking garage -- seven floors and 2,200 spaces.
About 500 vehicles a day have been parking at the South Hills Village garage next to the transit agency's light-rail station in Bethel Park, Operations Manager Steve Banta told the authority board yesterday.
While still regarded as heavily underutilized, the garage is nevertheless coming closer to breaking even through a combination of increased usage, higher revenues and lower expenses.
Pass holders who can park all day for $1 are accounting for $122,000 in income on an annualized basis. Occasional parkers are charged $2 a day, but the total they have paid was not immediately available.
And while the authority has been paying $225,000 a year to Parkway Parking of Pennsylvania Inc., a private company, to operate and maintain the garage, authority officials have negotiated the price down to $120,000 in a one-year option that goes into effect April 30.
The $21 million facility was built with 80 percent federal funds as part of about $500 million of other light-rail improvements in the South Hills, including the purchase of 28 new trolleys.
Authority officials have said garage patronage remains low partly because 600 free park-n-ride spaces are available at the South Hills Village T station.
If the authority succeeds in selling or leasing that property, some of those commuters would be forced to use the pay garage if the want to keep using the same T station. At present, officials are talking with three potential developers.
In other business at yesterday's committee meetings, authority board members:
Learned that Mr. Banta has resigned as $137,236-a-year chief operating officer to take a similar position in Portland, Ore. His resignation becomes effective next month, when he will be eligible for a Port Authority pension after only eight years after paying $172,776 to buy back prior service, including managing the light-rail system in Dallas, Texas.
The Port Authority is eliminating such "buy back" provisions and enacting other administrative reforms effective July 1.
Learned extra cement needed to solidify excavation on the North Shore, where twin tunnels will be bored under the Allegheny River for the light-rail expansion project, may add up to $1 million to the project costs.
First Published April 20, 2007 11:30 pm
