At the start of July, Portsmouth Parking using Park Mobile has created new zones for their 1 year pilot RAPP (Resident Access Parking Program) on all streets listed on this web link https://www.portsmouthnh.gov/publicworks/parkportsmouth/rapp This prioritizes resident parking by allowing Portsmouth residents to park for free after registering their license plate on these select roads and to "Balance Access" by charging visitors and hourly downtown workers. The "Balanced" downtown workforce program, only discounts Parrott Ave hourly to .30 cents and offers a $3 Foundry Garage 10 Hour Parking Session and charges $2 per hour plus fees for the other streets. Though this is a "pilot program" there is no doubt they will make it permanent, and this needs to be stopped.

The issue is workforce Parking is already scarce, forcing workers to pay more than $20 each day they need to park and ticketing them $30 if they are busy to working to pay or renew their parking session, while also eliminating the option to add 15 minute parking increments to your parking session and this hurts workers downtown. Parrott Ave is limited parking to start and come the upcoming school session, this will leave teachers, librarians, workers etc fighting for parking and filling both the municipal lots, leaving no parking available for other downtown workers who work later in the morning or early afternoon. And the problem with Foundry Palace garage is not centrally located and does not offer a shuttle around the downtown area, which adds extra walking to your work day. This is not only stressful to workers but can be unsafe during extreme cold or hold weather conditions, not to mention workers with accessibility needs. This is not only affecting workers ability to find parking, but affecting their already stretched income but also affecting local businesses that are not able to keep workers cause they can't afford to park. 

Without Portsmouth's Workforce, more local businesses will be forced to pay more to keep their employees or close their doors. We need to restructure the Workforce Parking program to be more worker friendly as well as helping residents access Parking.  Residents can keep the areas designated for them. The discount for on street parking should be extended to all streets downtown, in addition the Foundry Place lot should have a dedicated Workforce Shuttle(s) with multiple stops around the downtown area.  And or extend the $3 parking to the Forge Garage as well. Please Help Us Fight For Downtown Portsmouth WorkForce!