Aug. 31—A series of new initiatives aimed at bolstering downtown business will launch Friday.
The Experience Downtown Reading campaign, a collaboration of Mayor Eddie Moran's office and the Reading Parking Authority, is intended to support restaurants, shops and other business in the city's heart.
A pilot parking program, Free 10 on Penn, will give those parking in designated spaces on Penn Street a 10-minute grace period before ticketing is enforced.
Customers can receive the free parking by entering their license plate numbers in one of the pay stations recently installed in the middle of every block of Penn Street.
Set to start Friday, the program will give Penn Street parkers 10 minutes of free parking before they must move their cars or add meter time using a pay station or the ParkMobile app to avoid being ticketed.
The idea for the project was fueled by data gathered by the parking authority over a four-month period. The data showed over 50% of parking meter users on Penn Street parked for less than 10 minutes.
The finding underscored the potential to optimize parking space turnover and to better cater to the needs of those engaging in brief stops on Penn Street.
The Free 10 on Penn program is expected to eliminate the need to pay metered parking for more than half of visitors to Reading's downtown businesses.
A companion initiative will promote downtown restaurants and eateries through a monthly contest awarding restaurant gift cards to the winners.
A different restaurant will be featured each month using multiple promotional strategies, including digital and traditional media.
Winners also will receive tickets to an event at the Santander Arena, giving them the opportunity to combine their prizes for a night on the town or to use them on two separate occasions.
The first contest starts Friday and will remain open for entries through Sept. 15.
In addition, Reading Parking Authority is offering Night Owl flat-rate parking on three surface lots. Parkers pay just $2 to park any time from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. at the 341 Cherry St. lot. The Night Owl rate also is available at 29 S. Fifth St. and 644 Penn St. lots on non-event nights only.
Several spaces at the Fifth Street and Penn Street lots are designated for two-hour maximum parking to ensure patrons at local businesses can find convenient parking during high-demand times. Those spaces are available at an hourly rate rather than event rates.