KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Keene Deputy City Manager Rebecca Landry and Parking Operations Manager Chelsea North appeared on Good Morning with Dan Mitchell Tuesday to outline significant updates to the city’s downtown parking system, aimed at making parking more flexible and user-friendly.

Landry and North detailed the consolidation of downtown parking zones — reducing them from several dozen to about 20 — a move designed to let drivers move between areas without incurring extra fees within a two-hour window. “By having the flexibility to move their vehicle to another zone, what is now the same zone based on the changes that Chelsea and her team have made, they no longer have to pay for parking again within that two hour window,” Landry told listeners.

North added that the streamlined system also cuts down on duplicate transaction fees that had frustrated users. “One of the benefits to having the consolidated zones is that there’s a parking fee, but there’s also a credit card processing fee through the vendors that we use… When people would have to pay for parking again, they would have to pay for that fee again,” she explained.

The pair used their radio appearance to roll out several new parking permit options tailored to downtown workers and residents. Among them: an evening employee permit for $90 per quarter and an overnight resident permit for $250 per quarter in the Well Street parking garage. Landry pointed out that the pricing is intended to be accessible. “A dollar a day, where else can you park for a dollar a day?” she said.

A caller suggested a shuttle for city employees to free up more parking, according to Landry in a separate interview with My Keene Now.

“Many employees based in City Hall are coming and going frequently throughout the day (inspections, case management, offsite meetings, et cetera for which shuttle service to a parking location would not be conducive,” she said in an email.

The Well Street garage itself is seeing expanded public access, with free parking now available from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., an hour earlier than before — a change that Landry noted will better accommodate restaurant workers and early-evening visitors. “If you think about people who work in restaurants, they need to start earlier than people eat,” she remarked.

To ease payment, North announced a new “text-to-park” option that allows users to pay by text message, alongside existing app and coin-operated meter options. This, they said, is part of the city’s broader effort to modernize parking while still supporting those who prefer traditional methods.

Landry and North also touched on the city’s longer-term outlook, mentioning that Keene is monitoring parking demand in areas like Gilbo Avenue and considering future infrastructure, such as an additional parking garage, to keep pace with downtown development.

The parking updates come as Keene faces other downtown changes, including upcoming construction projects and revised FEMA flood maps that could affect local properties.

Throughout the interview, both Landry and North emphasized that the parking system overhaul is meant to balance the needs of employees, residents, and visitors — and to keep downtown Keene vibrant and accessible as it grows.

Listen to the full interview: