Chapel Hill's new parking system has attendants worried about job future

Chapel Hill parking attendants are worried about how their jobs will look in the future following the town’s implementation of a new, prepaid parking system. 

The new system eliminates the need for parking attendants to man booths at certain parking lots and decks throughout town. Although the town promised attendants that they will still have jobs once the new system is fully in place, attendants say there has been confusion regarding the details of their new position. 

“I constantly, but jokingly, said, ‘Am I still going to have a job?’” said Jovita Simons, who has worked as a parking attendant for nearly four years.

Under the new system, parking attendants are now called Downtown Ambassadors. The ambassadors are responsible for helping residents use the new meters, answering questions, giving directions and providing a welcoming environment for visitors. 

The ambassadors work in the same lots they previously attended to, walking between the old parking booth and the new meters, helping parking lot users make sense of the new automated system. 

Once the transition to the new system is complete, however, the ambassadors will begin working on the streets of downtown Chapel Hill instead of parking decks. Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership's Executive Director, Meg McGurk, said the transition will likely end as the school year starts. 

“Our priority is that employees are doing their job and are happy with what they’re doing and that it’s working for them and working for our community,” McGurk said. 

Ambassadors said they are worried about the new job description, which could have them working outside in the heat and cold. 

“I find the new system a lot more taxing,” said Casey Toll, who has worked as an attendant since 2007. 

“I've only worked a few shifts with the new system in place because I've been traveling. But during the limited time I've worked since the changes have been in effect, I have found it more difficult to work a shift there on the same day that I have to work another job, especially during the hotter weather.”

Ambassadors have also expressed concern over a potential cutback on hours as their roles change. Simons said she has already experienced a decrease in available work hours.

“The lot that I usually work in, the hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., where before we could work as late as 10, 11, 12 o'clock at night,” Simons said. “The hours have already been cut back.”

McGurk said parking supervisors are answering any questions ambassadors have but that the town is learning as they go in regards to how the system will impact the workers.

Many are choosing to continue working as ambassadors because of the flexibility and unique opportunities the job provides. Simons said she enjoys the job because of the people she meets everyday. 

Still, Simons is uncertain about her employment.

“I can’t see the Town of Chapel Hill keeping all of us once this is fully automated, up and running, and people have acclimated themselves to the system,” Simons said. “But I don’t know. I don’t know what else they have in store. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”