NYC Evaluates Credit Card-Friendly Parking Meters

The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) has introduced the City’s first credit card friendly pay and display parking meters. During a six month pilot project in Manhattan’s theater district, 200 Parkeon mains and solar powered machines – known locally as Muni-Meters–will accept major credit cards, in addition to the U.S. coin and NYC Pre-Paid Parking Card payment options currently available. The NYCDOT will gather data from the meters throughout the study period to determine motorists’ preferred payment method and to gauge the program’s success.

“Parking is one of the biggest challenges in a large, congested city with limited space, and the DOT continues to look for new ways to make parking easier for drivers,” said Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall. “Under Mayor Bloomberg’s leadership, the City is embracing new technologies to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers.”

Each Muni-Meter in the study area has been upgraded with the installation of a wireless data network modem and software that connects the meters to Parkeons EPSUM Payment Server that processes and authorizes credit card payments in real-time. They have also been outfitted with instructional decals and fliers are being distributed to educate the public about the new payment alternative.

New York Citys most recent order for 260 Parkeon pay and display parking meters increased the total number of multi-space terminals on its streets to over 2,000. With approximately 110,000 spaces, the City is the largest operator of on street parking facilities in the U.S. It also pioneered the use of pay and display in the Country, having first installed such machines over 12 years ago.

In the past 18 months, a number of other major U.S. cities have installed pay and display machines with credit card payment facilities and have seen parking revenues increase by up to 40%, on a like-for-like basis. In some cases, up to 60% of all transactions are being completed with credit cards, as drivers find them particularly convenient and are, therefore, inclined to pay for the maximum parking period permitted. Card transactions reduce the volumes of cash that have to be collected by the operators, making them a more secure and cost-effective means of payment.

For more information on Parkeon, visit: http://www.parkeon.com .