The shape of things to come
City parking meters move into the 21st century

MEDIA RELEASE:

WINNIPEG July 11, 2006 - The Winnipeg Parking Authority has started deploying a new breed of parking meter to city streets.

The city is planning to replace its stock of 2,500 rusted, broken and obsolete parking meters with up to 300 modern pay stations, similar to the ones used in New York, Miami, Vancouver, Toronto, and Saint John, New Brunswick. One pay station takes the place of about eight parking meters, and 125 new meters will be installed on major City streets this summer.

“Single space meters were invented in the US. These pay station or ‘pay and display’ machines are the norm for On Street parking in Europe and Australia. They are now common in Canada, and increasingly common in the US,” said David Hill, Chief Operating Officer of the Parking Authority.

The machines are similar to those commonly in use in off street lots in Winnipeg. Parkers use a coin or credit card to purchase a receipt, and display the receipt on the dash of their vehicle. Enforcement officers check the receipt to ensure time has been paid for. “The major advantage for the customer is ease of payment,” said Hill, noting that the machines accept all denomination of coins and Visa/MasterCard and Amex credit cards.

Each machine costs $14,500, which is equal to the cost of replacing eight individual parking meters at the current price of $1,800 per meter. “The old meters are too costly to fix, we can’t get parts anymore, and the housings are all in poor condition. They have to be replaced,” said Hill. The project will be self funded through the Parking Authority.

The technology is more efficient, increasing the amount of usable curb side space by 10%, the equivalent of 250 stalls, and reducing the number of enforcement tags issued. They also provide an opportunity to change the old parking meter post into an attractive bicycle parking ring, and improve the ability of the Public Works Department to remove snow accumulations in the winter. The machines do not accept payment during rush hour times and free parking times, and so there is no temptation to pay a meter and receive a tag or tow.

“We have been looking forward to this for some time,” said Lisa Holowchuk, Executive Director of the Exchange District BIZ, “Pay stations are a really proactive way to cut down on rush hour towing, as well as provide new cost effective bicycling facilities and user friendly parking’.

The Parking Authority has been running an On Street pilot program near the University of Winnipeg for eight months. In general, parkers find the machines easy to use once they become familiar. While it is some extra effort involved in displaying the permit on the dash, many customers appreciate the ability to use a credit card and get a receipt, and the machines are spaced so as to minimize the inconvenience. “It’s about time we did something like this,” noted one customer to The Parking Store on Portage Ave.

Some parkers seem anxious to use the new machines. “We are setting them up slowly, and placing a wrapping over the machines to keep them out of service. But some parkers are tearing the packaging off to use the machines” said Hill. Where parkers see a functioning pay station, as well as old parking meters, the Parking Authority is accepting either the paid meter or the pay station receipt as proof of purchase.

“The Downtown BIZ is very supportive of the project. These pay stations are more attractive than the old parking meters, they are much more flexible, and in other jurisdictions where they have been tried they have helped the downtown,” said Stefano Grande, Executive Director of the Downtown BIZ.

“At present, there is no intent to change any of the rates and times now existing, but we get occasional requests from the public to lengthen meter times, and we can accommodate that more easily with these devices,” said Hill.

The Parking Authority has already received requests from some Winnipeggers to buy old parking meters. “I guess they’re like seats from the Winnipeg Arena and have nostalgic appeal to some folks,” said Hill. “We might make some available as yard ornaments or lamps, depending on demand”.

The Parking Authority also realizes that this will be a change for Winnipeggers. While the pay stations are enforceable as parking meters, “we wish to give our customers some time to get used to them,” said Hill. Representatives from the Downtown and Exchange BIZ’s, as well as members of the maintenance and enforcement sections of the Parking Authority, will be on hand to assist parkers in some areas.

Background information on new Parking Pay Stations