High-tech turns parking into profits

In cities from Chicago to Austin to Berkeley, old-style mechanical parking meters are rapidly being replaced by a new type known as a multispace meter. If your town doesn't have them yet, you'll be getting them soon enough. But unless you work for your city government, you may not find this much cause to celebrate.

Cities like to bill the new multispace units as being more convenient for consumers, but experience indicates otherwise. To park in a multispace meter zone, you walk from your car to the meter, which can be some distance down the block. Once there, you buy a paper permit imprinted with the expiration time. Then you go back to your car to put the permit in the windshield, and finally go on your merry way.

more...

To continue reading sign in to your Premium Member account.

Premium Members have full access to all news archives.

Buy Now Purchase 1-year Premium Membership - $149.95

OR

Buy Now Purchase Monthly Premium Membership - $19.95

All rights reserved. This article may not be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, in part or in whole, without written permission of Inman News. Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright law.