Originally published October 2 2005
Advanced parking meters eliminate leftover minutes
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The meters are triggered by remote sensors that reset to zero when a car pulls away. In Sacramento, three solar-powered multi-space meters are configured to accept coins, credit cards, bills and stored-value smart cards.
Little is left to chance in the brave new world of parking technology: Meters are triggered by remote sensors, customers pay for street time by cell phone and solar-powered vending machines create customized parking plans for the motorist.
If you're in Monterey, Calif., or Chicago, you're apt to be foiled by parking officials who drive minicarts outfitted with GPS-enabled cameras that scan your license plate and know how long a car has occupied the given space.
Bill Francis, a vice president at the Los Angeles-based Walker Parking Consultants, says technology can also help local officials more smoothly collect on outstanding tickets, which for several cities he's familiar with added up to $4 million in just five years.
Pacific Grove, a coastal resort town where visitors to the nearby Monterey Bay Aquarium and Pebble Beach golf course compete with locals for the few oceanside spaces, went for the gold when it went digital last year.
The meter resets itself as soon as the car pulls away, so the next car has to pay the full fee.
"Today's meters are little computers," said Ross Hubbard, a former Pacific Grove city councilman who advocated for the switch.
The city now leases 100 meters for $45,000 per year from Duncan Parking Technologies Inc.
And after examining the data, the council realized it could bring in still more revenue by shifting the enforcement schedule to include Saturday afternoons, "when the likelihood of nabbing people is statistically much higher," Hubbard said.
Sue Shenkman said she wasn't happy about shelling out $4 to keep her spot for the fifth hour, after spending $1 for each of the first two hours and $2 for each of the next two.
Chris Quick, the lead parking officer in Palo Alto, said the city decided against buying carts similar to Sacramento's four years ago because at the time, the infrared cameras appeared to have wandering eyes.
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