Parking Utility to add an additional 50 parking meters which accept credit card, debit card, and coin

Following recommendations from the Downtown Parking Task Force to install meters which accept credit and debit cards along with coins, Columbia Public Works Parking Utility will install 50 new meter heads over the next two days.

The new meter heads will be installed in these locations:

• 900 block of University Ave - 16 new meters with 2 hour limits
• 700 block of Hitt Street - 34 new meters with 5 hour limits

Credit card, debit card, and coin meter heads were first installed along south 9th Street and along a block of East Broadway between 9th and 10th. Customers seem to prefer the convenience of payment options. The Downtown Parking Task Force made recommendations in their final report to council to install the credit card, debit card, coin meters in areas where there is high demand and occupancy rates.

It should be noted that the meters which accept credit and debit card form of payments will not accept the EZ Park Card. The Parking Utility has set a future goal of allowing these meters to also accept payment via smart phone apps such as ParkMobile, Google Wallet, and Apple Pay. No implementation date for these payment methods has been set.

The 50 meter heads will cost $26,400 and will be installed by Parking Utility staff. The funds are appropriated from the Parking Utility's annual budget.