New Parking Meters Installed
Most of the City’s new parking meters have been installed. The City was directed to replace the old meters, which were often out of service, and improve enforcement without raising the hourly rates, which are 25 cents per hour. The City tested the new smart meters last year and found them successful.
The vendor worked with Police Department staff to ensure that the work did not noticeably impact parking or area traffic. The installation is a two-part process with the second phase involving the calibration of the meter sensors. That work will require parking restrictions. The community will be notified before that phase begins.
Once all features are fully functional, the new meters will:
- reset the time when someone leaves a space,
- prevent meter-feeding so a vehicle can’t stay in the spot all day,
- and accept credit card payments.
A processing fee of 35 cents is charged for credit card payments to recover the costs charged by the meter vendor and banks that process the transactions. Acceptance of credit cards is a convenience to drivers. Drivers, not taxpayers, will absorb that fee and be given the opportunity to accept or decline the transaction. The cost to park has not changed. It is still 25 cents per hour.
Source: City Manager’s Office, City of Coronado
