DENVER — Heads up, Denver drivers!
As more people head downtown for the Avalanche parade, consumer investigator Jaclyn Allen wants you to be aware of dozens of new cameras watching your car that could cost you serious money.
Craig Collinsworth found that out the hard way when he crossed a Capitol Hill parking lot twice in one day last month while delivering for Meals on Wheels. He has been cutting through the lot every other week for five years, but this time, he received an $85 parking notice in the mail.
He said Parking Revenue Recovery Services would only offer to lower his ticket to $65, so he reached out to Contact Denver7 for help.
"It just came down to right and wrong, and this isn't right," he said. "Nothing really happened until I reached out to Denver7 about it."
For years, Contact Denver7 has been exposing issues with private parking lots in downtown Denver, most recently involving unlicensed lots.
But the complaints coming in lately from people who only spent a few extra minutes in the lot are related to recently-installed cameras that capture every car and track when they come and go.
A video provided by PRRS shows how the new system works, using less boots on the ground and more eyes in the sky, and claiming a 300% average increase in parking revenue as a result.
Last month PRRS co-founder John Conway said to expect more parking notices because of the new technology.
"We're trying to deploy technology that eliminates the human error," said Conway, who said they are catching violators they did not catch before. "So hours between 12 midnight and 7 a.m., unbelievable, never would have imagined how many people actually come down and park and don't pay."
In an email, Conway sent video of more technology being rolled out that tracks each car to exactly where it parks.
In a statement to Contact Denver7, Conway wrote: "Go AVS! Enjoy downtown and remember to carefully read the signs and follow the instructions where you park. Be sure to enter the correct license plate in the payment method."
Meanwhile, after Contact Denver7 started making calls, Collinsworth's ticket was voided, and he has this message for people coming downtown to park:
"Beware! Don't park in the lots, and if you do, you better pay," he said. "Better to pay the $15 or $20 instead of getting an $85 ticket."
Editor's note: Denver7 seeks out audience tips and feedback to help people in need, resolve problems and hold the powerful accountable. If you know of a community need our call center could address, or have a story idea for our investigative team to pursue, please email us at contact7@thedenverchannel.com or call (720) 462-7777. Find more Contact Denver7 stories here.
