STATEHOUSE NEWS

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The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board announced plans for a new and easy way to pay for parking at the Ohio Statehouse today. A new automated payment system is projected to be in place and in service on April 14, 2012 in the underground parking facility. Drivers who utilize daily parking services in the Ohio Statehouse underground parking garage will no longer make their payment with a cashier at the exit booth.

Projected to be in service on April 14, parkers will be required to take their parking ticket with them and use any one of the five “Pay-on-Foot” payment machines prior to exiting the Statehouse parking garage. Pay-on-Foot payment machines will be located throughout the green level of the parking facility. The Pay-on-Foot machines will be located near the north and south garage entrances to the Statehouse and the stairwells to Broad and High Streets, State and High Streets and the garage office area. The machines will accept cash and MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover Card credit cards.

Upon completion, the Ohio Statehouse Parking Garage will be among the state of the art parking facilities in Columbus. The new system will be user friendly, easy to use and accommodate high volume use with speedy transactions. The system will function 24 hours a day.

“The new system will allow visitors to the Ohio Statehouse and downtown businesses to pay for parking inside the garage using automated machines and exit the parking garage more quickly and easily”, said Senator Richard Finan, CSRAB Chairman. “It’s part of our continuing effort to make using the Statehouse’s parking facility as convenient as possible for our tenants and visitors.”

FOR MONTHLY PARKERS: The new system will provide monthly parkers with new AVI (Automated Vehicle Identification) pass. The new pass will no longer require monthly parkers to stop, roll down their window and scan parking card. This will allow for much faster entry and exit to and from that Statehouse parking facility.

FOR SPECIAL EVENT PARKERS: The Ohio Statehouse will offer “event parking” during large downtown events, including events held at the Ohio and Palace Theatres. Special event parkers will be able to “pre-pay” with parking garage staff using cash or credit cards prior to entering the Statehouse garage. Parkers will then be able to exit quickly, without stopping at the exit gate, after large downtown events

“The new automated parking payment system will increase customer satisfaction by allowing parkers to exit the garage more quickly,” said William E. Carleton, CSRAB executive director. “The system is designed to end the aggravation that some Statehouse parkers experience when busy entry and exit lanes back up, and seconds feel like minutes.”

How the new process will work for Ohio Statehouse parkers:
1. Enter Ohio Statehouse Underground Parking Garage and take parking ticket from machine. (Gate goes up)
2. Proceed to parking stall on any of the three levels.
3. When leaving vehicles, parkers must take their parking ticket with them.
4. Complete task, meeting, event or reason for parking in Statehouse parking garage.
5. Proceed to any one of the five conveniently located Pay-on-Foot payment stations, located throughout the Green Level of the parking facility.
6. Insert parking ticket and make payment with cash or credit card.
7. Remove parking ticket and receipt. (Upon payment, parkers have 15 minutes to exit the parking garage).
8. Proceed to gate and insert parking ticket into machine and exit. (Gate goes up)

If additional assistance is needed, drivers may press the intercom button at each Pay-on-Foot payment station and exit gate for assistance.

Substantial signage reminding drivers to “pay for parking prior to exiting” will be located on all levels throughout the parking garage and within the Statehouse.

Drivers will be introduced to the automated system by signs placed throughout the parking facility and throughout the Capitol Square complex. The automatic, centralized Pay-on-Foot stations placed throughout the Green Level of the parking garage will optimize CSRAB staffing resources. While the new system is intended to save money on employment costs over time, no CSRAB parking attendants will lose employment with the agency. While the system will no longer require staff to serve as cashiers, current parking garage cashiers will serve as “ambassadors” for the first 30 days, helping to familiarize parkers with the new system. After the first 30 days, some cashiers will be reassigned to other CSRAB positions within the Capitol Square complex.

The Ohio Statehouse Parking Garage offers convenient, affordable and sheltered parking with direct access to the Ohio Statehouse and Senate Building, Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, James A. Rhodes State Office Tower and the Huntington Center. More than 1,000 public parking spaces are available daily. The Statehouse parking garage is open to the public 24 hours a day and can accommodate vehicles under 6’6’’ in height. Emergency call buttons are located throughout the facility if assistance is needed. The Statehouse Parking Garage is patrolled by the Ohio Highway Patrol 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Statehouse is located in downtown Columbus on High and Broad Streets. Vehicles can access the Statehouse parking garage from Broad, State or Third Streets (there are no High Street entrances). For more information, contact the Statehouse Parking Garage at 614/728-2557, or visit the parking garage office located on the green level at State and Third Streets. A complete list of parking rates is available at www.ohiostatehouse.org.

To view this press release and others, visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

The Ohio Statehouse is more than a monument to our past; it's where history happens! The Ohio Statehouse is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed holidays. The Ohio Statehouse Museum is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekends from noon to 4 p.m.; closed holidays. Admission is free. Free guided tours are offered weekdays on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and weekends from noon to 3 p.m. Tours depart from the Map Room easily accessible from the Third Street entrance. Groups of 10 or more are requested to call in advance to ensure a guide is available. Contact 888/OHIO-123 for more information or to schedule a group tour. For more information about the Ohio Statehouse visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

The Ohio Statehouse is handicapped accessible and senior friendly. The Capitol Square complex was restored to allow for greater access by individuals living with disabilities. Ohio Statehouse public programs and events are held in accessible and barrier free areas of the building so that everyone can participate. Ohio Statehouse visitors needing disability-related accommodations in order to fully participate in an event may contact the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board at statehouse@csrab.state.oh.us or 614/752-9777 to communicate special needs. Please allow three weeks for arrangements to be completed.

The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) is responsible for maintaining the historic character of the Statehouse and Capitol Square while providing for the health, safety and convenience of those who work in or visit the complex. The Ohio Statehouse Museum Education Center coordinates tours of Capitol Square and provides information about the buildings, their history and Ohio's government.

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