Parking Meters Soon To Accept Prepaid Cards City Pays For 300 Electronic Units That Operate On Plastic Or Coins

Like grocery stores and gas pumps, Spokane’s newfangled parking meters will soon accept payment in plastic.

Buying time on the electronic devices soon to debut downtown should be easier than on their mechanical ancestors, city officials say.

No more twisting the cranky handles or reading the tiny print on the time dial. Just plug in a coin and an easy-to-read digital display tells drivers how much time they have. Eventually, prepaid credit cards will be available.

Come back early and drivers who have used a prepaid card can get credit for unused time.

“Downtown parking is at a premium,” said Dave Shaw of the transportation department. “We’re trying to make it as adaptable and user-friendly as possible.”

The City Council recently decided to buy 300 computerized parking meters for the city core. The whole package - digital inserts and new meter housings - will cost $98,659.

The mechanical models will be removed and used as spare parts or replacements for meters in other areas of Spokane.

Some of the older models also may be used to turn previously free parking spaces near the Spokane Arena into paid spots, Shaw said. Arena managers have complained about short-term parking being devoured by long-term users.

The new breed of meters should be installed this spring, although the credit card option won’t be available until sometime later, Shaw said.

People will be able to buy the cards for about $5 from a device similar to a vending machine. They buy a certain amount of parking time, which registers in the card’s “memory.”

When those dollars are used up, a motorist could return to the machine and buy more time on the same card.

A person can insert the card into the meter for the maximum time allowed. If the time isn’t used when the driver returns, the card can be reinserted to credit unused parking time.

Councilman Jeff Colliton wondered whether the credit card reimbursement option might lead to people stealing time from each other.

“What prevents somebody from going along and taking time off people’s meters?” Colliton said during a recent briefing session.

“There’s something very sinister about that suggestion,” said Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers with a laugh.

Stealing time isn’t possible, Shaw said. The new meters will only credit time to the original card.

The electronic meters aren’t just easier for users, they’re also easier to patrol, he said.

A three-colored wheel inside the meter is visible from the street. It displays a certain color to let the meter reader know its status. If it’s green, there’s time left. If it’s red, the meter has expired. If it’s yellow, the meter has gone haywire and needs repairs.

A portable terminal can be hooked up to each meter to tell the reader exactly how many coins of each denomination are inside, Shaw said. That makes it easier for the city to audit the meter reader’s deposits for accuracy.

The meters also can be programmed to change time limits. For example, meters outside City Hall can limit parking to one hour during the week but switch to two hours on the weekend.

Unlike earlier models the city tried out, these meters don’t prevent drivers from violating time limits by returning to buy more time. There also is no infrared sensor that erases time when the car moves away, so the possibility remains that drivers can find bonus time on meters when they park.

The new models can be programmed to refuse Canadian coins, Shaw said, although it’s likely the city will allow the foreign currency.

While the electronic meters need replacement batteries every six to nine months, they won’t need as much maintenance as the mechanical ones, he said.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: WHAT A CARD The card can be inserted into the meter for the maximum time allowed. If the time isn’t used when the driver returns, the card can be reinserted for unused time.