More high-tech parking meters are coming to Baltimore city.
“It?s a win-win for everyone,” said Peter Collier, chief operating officer of the Baltimore City Parking Authority.
More than 400 of the solar-powered high-tech meters will roll out in the city during the coming months, offering drivers the option of paying with coins, credit cards or bank debit cards.
Collier said with growth throughout the area bringing more people to Baltimore, “the last thing we need is a parking problem.”
While Collier said the meters are not a revenue-making scheme by the city, drivers are more likely to comply with parking regulations when they don?t have to hunt for change to feed the old-fashioned meters.
And, instead of losing money by overfeeding parking meters, drivers can take their purchased time with them for use in other parking spaces without individual meters, he said.
The technology for the machines comes from E-Z Park, a Clearwater, Fla.-based company that contracts with the city to provide the machines and technology.
An internal alarm on each E-Z Park box notifies the company charged with installation and maintenance in Baltimore, Cale Parking Systems USA Inc., of any problems and a local technical team is sent out in response.
E-Z Park chief executive George Levey said BaltimoreCity workers are moving ahead with plans to pull the old meters and install the new systems throughout the city.
“If the ground is prepared, we put in easily 100 meters a month, and that would cover about 1,000 spaces,” Levey said.
Seventy meters are in use in Fells Point and Mount Vernon and along Charles Street.
But Barbara Cromwell, program coordinator for the Preservation Society, doesn?t like the meters. She wasn?t fond of the old ones, either.
“Personally, I don?t like them,” Cromwell said. “Parking was free about two years ago. And even though you had to look for parking when you came down here, nowadays you have to look for quarters or have a credit card ? and look for parking.”
