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Parking stations get ‘meter greeters’ in Spokane debut

Spokane Mayor Jim West put on a bright vest Wednesday to help Consuelo Grumich with the new downtown parking system, which replaces the meters along a section of Main Avenue. The ticket machines allow drivers to use coins or credit cards to pay for parking. (Christopher Anderson/ / The Spokesman-Review)
By Hilary Kraus hilaryk@spokesman.com
Spokane Mayor Jim West put on a bright vest Wednesday to help Consuelo Grumich with the new downtown parking system, which replaces the meters along a section of Main Avenue. The ticket machines allow drivers to use coins or credit cards to pay for parking. (Christopher Anderson/ / The Spokesman-Review)

Some stared at the new curbside contraption and looked around for help.

Others had no problems following the instructions. The most impatient drivers used their frustration as an excuse to park free.

Spokane motorists had a variety of reactions Wednesday as the city began its experiment with parking pay stations.

Mayor Jim West and other city officials, along with Police Department volunteers, acted as “meter greeters” as motorists were introduced to the modern-day machines. For the next 90 days, four automated green kiosks have replaced 18 individual meters on the north side of Main Avenue between Lincoln and Howard streets. Meters at the City Hall parking lot also are being replaced.

Reviews were mixed on the first day.

“This better come back,” said a puzzled Becky Somes, of Spokane, after inserting her credit card into the machine. “I don’t know if this is going to fly.”

The centrally located stations accept coins and credit or debit cards. One dollar buys one hour of parking, which is issued on a ticket receipt. Motorists can use unexpired time at other pay stations or parking meters.

“How does it know where I’m parked?” Kim Siebe, of Spokane, asked the city’s chief financial officer, Gavin Cooley, who was helping afternoon motorists.

Motorists mark their cars by peeling off the back of their ticket and using it as tape to stick their ticket inside their curbside window. Many users did not look pleased when they went to buy a ticket and had to walk back and unlock their vehicles and figure out how to stick the ticket on the window.

For some, however, the trickiest part was decoding the digital numbers displayed on the kiosk. Cooley said some customers paid a quarter and mistook the time of day (displayed digitally) for the number of minutes paid for.

“I liked that he (Cooley) stood there and explained it all to me. Now it’s a snap,” said Siebe, who was shopping with her three children. “I also like it because people can’t figure out how to use it so they drive away and then I’ll get parking places.”