Pay station technology is no longer just an on-street parking experiment.  The technology is here to stay.  In cities like Toronto, Canada, Portland OR, Oakland CA and New York City, pay station technology has taken root and become an accepted part of the street landscape. Parking managers in cities throughout North America are now considering this technology to replace the traditional single space parking meter. 

The following discussion should be considered basic guidance and assistance for municipal parking managers.  The questions and answers are drawn from the personal experience of city managers who are currently using and implementing multi-space pay station technology.  If you’re a parking manager considering pay station technology for an on-street application, this document will answer some of your basic questions and help you on your way.

The primary goal for this document is to share personal knowledge and experiences with others in order to help reduce the learning curve. 

If you have single space parking meters, how do you know change is needed? - You know you need multi-space pay station technology if any combination of the following criteria applies:

• The public leaves notes taped to your meter telling you the meter isn’t working.
• Maintenance is a reactive process where eliminating meters jams is Job One
• System security, theft and revenue recovery are parking management issues you try not to think about.
• You want to optimize your parking system productivity but data gathering and analysis is a challenge.
• Businesses in your parking district display signs reading “no change given for parking meters”.
• A driver rolls down his/her window to ask you if you’ve seen a meter with time remaining on it.
• Your meters are viewed as a barrier to pedestrians and a barrier to the placement of street furniture.
• Parking downtown on a regular basis requires that you stock up on rolls of quarters and find a place to store them in your car.
• You have a thriving business sector where businesses report that their customers regularly use credit and debit cards in their stores.

Do you really need a pilot project before making a decision on pay station technology? – A pilot program will be beneficial if all of the following apply.  

• Everything you want in a permanent pay station program including desired hardware and software functionality is included in the pilot.
• The following issues are determined before you start:
  • Success criteria – what are we trying to accomplish.
  • Measures and data gathering techniques – if you can’t measure it, it’s not successful.
  • The role customer input will play in the analysis – avoid the popularity context syndrome.
• You have a site in mind for the pilot that provides the best chance for success – a pilot is best located in an area with a lot of activity.
• You have a clear vendor support agreement for the pilot period - understanding how the vendor will perform in this area maybe more important than the performance of the technology itself.
• You know where you’re going and what steps to take after the pilot is complete – this may be the most difficult of all but it the pays to know where you want to go.

Don’t worry, if you haven’t decided on or thought of the above issues you will be able to measure your selected vendors worth by whether or not they bring the issues up and help you to solve them.  Don’t chose a vendor that just wants to sell you the meter, choose the vendor who wants to be a partner and will benefit only if your program succeeds.

Okay, you have some choices, but what do you need? – The following are key elements of multi-space pay station technology and key points for consideration:

Pay and display vs. pay by space -

• There are a range of advantages and disadvantages to consider. Don’t let a gut reaction stand in the way of a thorough analysis. 
• Don’t let the way you’ve always enforced parking dictate your decision-making.
• Check out the market place.
• FYI – Pay and Display has proven itself to be the best method of parking control for the on-street application as well as in small lots.  Pay by Space should be reserved for larger lots and garages.

Components (general) –

• Open architecture is ideal.  The more proprietary the system is, the more thoughtful you need to be.
• Plug and Play – Make sure the equipment is easy to maintain.

Card reader and coin operation -

• The customer knows best!  Is the operation of the technology intuitive to the customer?
  • If the customer is confused by the interface locations and sizes, or the operation of the meter, then the technology may not be a good fit.
• Operation instructions are good; a focus group may be a good design feedback tool.

Payment options (credit/debit)

• This should be a no-brainier but watch out for transaction charges, the banks are not your friend.
• Carefully research all costs for authorization and settlement - online authorization versus offline batch authorization (value versus risk).

Display –

• Pay attention to the display:      
  • Overall size
  • Font type and sizes

Solar Panel –

• Yes, solar gain can be achieved during winter months but stay away from after-market applications.
• Overall power consumption profile including sleep mode are key indicators for battery life.

Two-way wireless Communication –

• You can go without but I don’t think you want to.
• Important for efficient handling of transaction data, messaging capability, and alarms.

• Data security and cost are major considerations.
• Being able to download new tariff structures and make changes to different machine parameters can save time and costs.
• Having the flexibility to adapt to a changing service provider market could be the key to longevity.

Back office system-

• Alarms, alarms, and more alarms – they allow you to become proactive and efficient.

• Reliable financial data is essential for good asset management practices.
• Card authorization and settlement systems are essential and can be an issue.
• Customers are Job One – plan for a customer service interface.
• System purchase versus service fee model – life cycle costs, level of control and flexibility should be decision criteria.

System Memory –

• If the system uses EPROMS make certain you know  exactly what parameters can be downloaded without a backup EPROM swap – installing new EPROMS will be time consuming and costly.

Okay, you now know your systems needs; do you need to involve outside stakeholders in the final decision?

- You need stakeholder buy-in if any combination of the following situations applies:

• The previous parking manager was prominently featured in a recent front page article of your local newspaper.
• The process for your last meter rate increase felt like the Gun Fight at the OK Corral.
• Local residents compete for the attention of elected officials and city managers by showering City Hall with phone calls about receiving parking citations and/or complaining about not having enough parking around their business or neighborhood.
• Business and neighborhood associations have considerable influence on local land use planning and policy.
• Your local city government doesn’t include a city manager or a strong mayor.
• Your parking meter district policy suggests that the purpose of parking meters is to support and enhance the business district.
• Parking supply in your meter district exceeds the demand for parking.
• Managing commuter parking impacts is a concern for both business and residential stakeholders.

What should you consider when selecting a technology vendor?

• If they’re not returning your calls they may be out of business and just in denial.
• System needs first, technology second - you want to work with the ones that are clear about what you need, not just what they have to sell.
• If they market themselves by trashing the competition they have identity issues, so watch out.
• Good partnerships produce positive relationships – question the technology vendor about those relationships.
• Checkout the marketplace - who are the important players and why have they been successful.
• Look for key partnerships that leverage technology opportunities for on-street and off-street applications.  
• Determine your life cycle costs – operating costs for back office systems can sometimes tip the scale.
• Look for commitment – the willingness to invest in your success by fully supporting your operation speaks volumes.
• Take the time to get to know the company and its philosophy – with whom do you have the relationship, the president of the company or the sales representative?

Project design – what are success factors for technology rollout and transition?

• Technology branding – consider giving the technology a name that creates project identity.
• Color and aesthetics are important to the overall street landscape – keep the color something that is neutral; you want a design and color that are timeless, not the flavor of the day.
• Take it on the road – Invite the media, both print and TV, to technology demonstrations at targeted locations before rollout. Use these outlets to your advantage to educate the parking public.
• Emphasize customer education in lieu of enforcement during the transition period – enforcement officers are your ambassadors.
• To support the customer learning curve, budget for additional outreach and education for both personnel and materials.  The investment will pay dividends in the long run.
• Establish a feedback loop. Customers want and need to have mechanisms in place to provide feedback, plan for it.

What provisions should you include in the contract to address product performance and risk?

Every city has its own standard contract language requirements and all contracts should include a product warranty provision.  One year on parts is the standard but is open to an extended warranty plan; there are some on the market that make sense.     

Performance monitoring and quality control are critical to operational success and should be the responsibility of both parties under the contract.  Contracts should be clear about performance levels, including product and support services. Potential risks associated with non-performance should be identified, this is especially important if your contract includes the vendor providing back office support systems for a monthly service fee. 

Get the full bang for your service dollar; make sure your contract gives you the best chance for success. 

Make no mistake about it, multi-space is not only the future of parking, it’s also the present.  Cities using multi-space pay and display metering on-street are maximizing their revenue potential, improving their side walk aesthetics and streamlining their parking management. 

Questions or comments about this product or inquiries about the author should be directed through CALE.