Projo Biz Blog

Journal archive photo / Bill Murphy
Providence Place mall is making changes to help shoppers leave the parking garage faster.

PROVIDENCE - Providence Place mall is trying a new gambit to unclog the chronic bottlenecks that plague its parking garage, according to the mall's general manager.

Soon, people who drive to the mall will be able to pay their parking fees at ATM-like machines and kiosks spread throughout the mall, alleviating the need for vehicles to queue alongside cashier booths at garage exits.

"Everyone loves the mall," Craig Gorris, the mall's general manager, said. "[But] the biggest complaint we get is parking. We expect this to significantly enhance the [mall] experience."

Paying at the garage's cashier booths takes time, Gorris said, typically up to a minute. On busy days, those minutes add up, often leaving drivers fuming as their vehicles get stuck in lines snaking through the garage. Staffing issues have often kept four of the garage's 10 exit lanes closed, making matters worse.

"With this system, every lane is going to be open - that's a huge benefit," Gorris said.

After March 17, drivers entering the mall will draw a ticket from a dispenser, just as they do now. On the way out of the stores, they will be able to stop at one of the beige-colored machines, or at two cashier stations, to pay their parking fee and have their ticket processed.

As they get to the garage exit, they will simply slip the ticket into a reader that will open a gate.

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