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September 23, 2011 in City
High-tech meters get new test
Different than a system rejected six years ago
Jerry Halladay, left, and Rich Kridler with Parking Enforcement install numbered parking space signs for the new parking pay stations in the lot at Spokane City Hall on Thursday.
(Full-size photo)
They’re back.
High-tech Seattle-style parking meters were installed Wednesday along four blocks of downtown Spokane and in a city-owned parking lot next to City Hall as part of an experiment.
Similar meters were tried and rejected six years ago by city and business leaders who felt that motorists were confused and inconvenienced by an earlier version of the system. City leaders also questioned the need to pay credit card fees.
But Louis Meuler, the city planner leading the effort to create a new downtown parking system, said times have changed and there’s a bigger demand from the public for extra conveniences in how they pay to park. They want the ability to pay by credit or debit card, for example.
“Parking-payment technology has evolved quite a bit in the last few years,” Meuler said.
The new system, which is solar powered, also will allow drivers to create accounts so they can pay by phone.
Only nine of the new meters have been installed during the trial, which will last through March. They serve street parking along four blocks: the two blocks of Post Street immediately south of River Park Square and the two blocks of Main Avenue in front of the mall. One also serves a city lot just north of City Hall.
A big difference between the system unveiled Thursday and the one considered six years ago is that drivers will not have to go back to their car to affix a receipt to the window. That’s the system still used in downtown Seattle.
Parkeon, a French company, was selected by the city to perform the trial from nine bids received. Seattle and Tacoma also use Parkeon meters. The test was approved unanimously by the Spokane City Council earlier this month.
If the city moves forward and purchases the meters, they will cost $6,250 and $7,500 each, depending on the features selected. The city also would pay Parkeon $60 per month per meter for software, database and other fees. The meters allow the city to determine which ones need service and better track how they’re used.
“This will be a fantastic tool to help us better manage our parking system,” Meuler said. “We’ll get daily data on how our spaces are doing.”
Meuler said the city expects revenue to increase under the new meters because parkers tend to pay for more time since they aren’t dependent on the number of coins in their car. The city also will gain because drivers can’t take advantage of unused, unexpired meters – they’ll no longer be able to tell when there’s time left on a meter.
Not all old meters will be replaced. The new system only pays for itself in high-turnover parking spots. Meuler said extra revenue generated with the new meters will pay for the new meters within five years. At this point, the city estimates that it will buy about 75, but the trial may show that the city should buy more or less.
“We want hard numbers to back that up,” Meuler said.
One man using the system Thursday said it’s less convenient than feeding the old meters, which were immediately adjacent to each space. Most parkers asked about the new system, however, said they prefer it.
Spokane resident Janel McLean said getting a printed receipt showing when the meter will expire will help parkers avoid tickets.
Before getting out of his car, Josh Leech scrounged for coins, which he used to fill the new meter. If he had known the machine took credit cards, he wouldn’t have bothered, he said.
“It’s actually quite easy once I learned how to use it,” Leech, a Spokane resident, said immediately after using the new meter. “I don’t carry cash a lot.”
Only one meter was operational Thursday. Meuler said the city won’t issue tickets at spaces with new meters until Monday.
Signs labeling each space with numbers were installed Thursday. Customers type in the number of the space they’re occupying and pay for time by coin or credit card. The machines do not accept bills. Each meter handles six to 12 spaces.
The meter won’t allow parkers to pay during holidays or after-hours. A parker who arrives before enforcement begins at 8 a.m. can plug the meter, which will wait until 8 to start ticking.
But the city will have the ability to program meters so credit card payers can’t add time after making the first payment. The prohibition would be meant to enforce the city’s law forbidding drivers from refilling meters.
“We’re not instituting that at this time,” Meuler said.
Andrew Rolwes, public parking and policy manager for the Downtown Spokane Partnership, said the first trial, which occurred under former Mayor Jim West, was unsuccessful because it took too long for the older machines to verify credit card information and customers disliked having to go back to their cars to post receipts.
Meuler said the city expects to pay an average of 14 cents per transaction to credit card companies, and will bar people from using credit cards if they want to pay for less than a half-hour of time. Credit card users must purchase at least 60 cents worth of time. Like now, coin users can pay as little as a nickel.
Closing Geiger: Wise or worrisome? 
CommonSenseJoe on September 23 at 5:42 a.m.
I for one and glad they’re bringing these back. I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I’ve gone to RPS simply because I don’t carry change on me - I’m all credit/debit card. Good job by the City bringing these back! And, on a personal note, if you’re so stupid you can’t figure out how to use these things, maybe you shouldn’t be driving.
skime on September 23 at 6:14 a.m.
This is great, but why can’t you pay a parking ticket online?
If you could pay them online, maybe people would pay them.
DA, do ya think! You wonder why the city is in a short fall ALL the time.
lewis8457 on September 23 at 7:06 a.m.
if you don’t pay your ticket the city sends you to a collection company so much for that credit score.
wow all this revamping of downtown, maybe give folks a reason to go downtown might be a better idea.
anything i want i can get at a area mall with free parking.
Orphan on September 23 at 7:13 a.m.
Just another reason to not go downtown.
I will walk many blocks to not pay the city to park, I hate paying a tax to use something that was paid for by taxes.
soccermomsusie on September 23 at 7:27 a.m.
I was worried when I first read this article. I thought they were going to remove the horse troughs from the parking spaces. Maxie enjoys a cool drink from these after giving chase to bicyclists and recyclists.
People, just do what I did. Get yourself a length of electrical extension chord from Wal-Mart. Shove one end under the hood of your Hummer. Plug the other end into the electrical socket at the FREE FOR ELECTRIC CAR parking at City Hall.
No muss. No fuss. Perfectly free (unlike freedom).
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!
soccermomsusie on September 23 at 7:29 a.m.
Orphan, Walking is for Socialists and transients. Have some pride, sir!
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!
MRH1949 on September 23 at 8:18 a.m.
Portland went this way several years ago. The head of the parking division was just forced to resign and is under investigation by the Feds. Take a look at the name of the companies involved there and the name of the companies involved in Spokane. I suspect you will find some matches.
Coffee on September 23 at 8:28 a.m.
I wonder how well they will hold up to being tasered?
DavidBray on September 23 at 10:10 a.m.
Geez, I hate the lack of common sense in so many people.. There’s a few things I’d like to know that were left out: like how much MORE money will be brought in from using these meters. If the opinions I’ve heard for the past 20 years mean anything…it’s the difficulty in finding a parking space, the one way system and PAYING AT ALL that keeps so many people out of downtown. I believe the amount of downtown workers, shoppers and fun seekers is fairly stable, so where’s the increase in parking revenue?
According to the story, a driver won’t be able to see how much time is left on the new meters before they pay….so the city is going to charge for the overlap in time? If you buy an hour of time, leave in half an hour and someone pulls in after you leave, do they again pay for the time left you paid for plus more time? Isn’t that just another form of double billing?
I quote, “Meuler said extra revenue generated with the new meters will pay for the new meters…in less than 5 years”. Again, how much “extra revenue”? Less than 5 years? So for that time the meters will be unprofitable as they pay for themselves?
It seems to me that keeping what we have, that seems to be profitable right now, makes more sense. Is it that hard for citizens that often go downtown to remember to carry change, or leave some in the glove box or an unused ashtray for parking purposes? Gimme a break!
If the city wants to make money from parking downtown i have an idea: run Diamond Parking out of town. Use “eminent domain” or whatever it takes to buy the lots and parking garages that they own. Let the city make money from owning and operating them and don’t tell me it wouldn’t be profitable. The family that owns Diamond is one of the richest in the state and they made their money in parking lot operations. If they can do that, maybe, just maybe, city government could make a tidy sum as well. Now change the parking to angled parking to allow more spaces. Next: eliminate the one-way system. One- way streets were designed to move traffic quickly through an area; they are NOT conducive to shopping or any other activity that requires parking.
Those changes WILL bring more people downtown if the parking fees are reasonable.
SPOKANITE on September 23 at 11:28 a.m.
@Lewis - There’s no such thing as ‘free parking’.
Ron_the_Cop on September 23 at 3:27 p.m.
@Commonsensejoe - you’re paying for the RPS parking garage
@Soccermomsusie - ROTFLMAO
@David Bray - read below
Jonathan,
There is a connection to the Cowles Co while tangential you did not disclose.
When the City settled the RPS civil bond fraud case, clear title to the RPS parking garage was given back to the Cowles Co albeit through an LLC.
Further the City had to issue approx $43M in NON tax free municipal bonds to pay off the defrauded bond investors of the first bonds.
The City is paying approx $2M per year to svs the debt svs these bonds. This money is paid out of the parking meter revenue which runs about $2M per year.
The parking meter maintenance/replacement is charged off against this revenue. The personnel to collect the meter money is on top of this paid from the general fund.
Just saying:-)
westerly on September 23 at 4:05 p.m.
Free 90 minute parking all over downtown Everett, all streets!!!!!! Free!!!
SPOKANITE on September 23 at 4:57 p.m.
@westerly Heh, heh, You said downtown Everett.
liberal_in_right_wing_land on September 23 at 5:40 p.m.
Amazing how behind the times this city is. Other major and even a lot of mid-size cities like Spokane have had these for years and years.
Welcome to the 21st Century Spokane!
DHF on September 24 at 7:58 p.m.
You have red light camera’s and part of the money goes to Arizona. Now you want parking meters and you will pay a French Co. Parkeon $60.00 per mo for software datbase etc. each. Why not leave the old meters and keep all the money. Oh I forgot that people are so stupid that they dont bring change. I dont know why I am even addressing this issue as I never go to Spokane City anyhow. Northtown or Spokane Valley Mall.