New parking meters
Sarah Haug
Missouri S&T Parking Lot Operations recently installed 35 new parking meters as part of a pilot test-run to gain feedback from the community on the updated meters. The major difference between the old meters and the new meters is the forms of payment that each accept; the old meters only accept traditional coins, while 13 of the new meters accept only credit or debit card, and 22 of the new meters accept both forms of payment. This variation in payment type is being offered to allow students, staff, and visitors options when they are choosing to park on-campus. The Office of Parking Lot Operations is looking forward to seeing if the campus community prefers the convenience of card over carrying coins.
The new and advanced parking meters were purchased from POM Parking Meters. It is projected that these meters will help to cut cost on battery replacement since they are solar powered with a battery life expectancy of at least 2 years. Additionally, these meters are two space meters, rather than single space only meters as before. When paying by card, there is a one hour minimum to choose, which is priced at $1.00. The money from the meters goes toward supporting the S&T police department.
The ability to have payment options was the main motivator for the new parking meters, and there will be another choice coming soon to pay for parking. After POM Parking Meters completes the final development, the ability to provide payment via mobile app will be an additional option. Time can be added to the meter via app if there is a class or meeting that goes longer than originally scheduled. More specifics will be provided concerning the choice of app payment when the development is complete.
New parking meters that accept both card and coins are located in the following areas: 26 spaces in Lot A-21 and 4 spaces in Lot A-3 near Centennial Hall, and 17 spaces in Visitor Lot B-13 near Havener Center. The new meters that only accept card are located on the south side of Lot A21 and the far west side of Lot B13 near Havener. Coming soon, there will be 10 spaces in Lot C-48, which is on the corner of Highway 63 and 10th Street. “The goal is to have them everywhere, but this spring is just the pilot” explains Emily Hutcheson, a Campus Facilities Committee Chair through Student Council. Hutcheson is also a member on the Parking Committee and Parking Ticket Appeals Committee. She mentions that “we didn’t want to replace them all at once just in case there were any issues or concerns with them”.
The Office of Parking Lot Operations is enthusiastic about the change and is proud to upgrade to meet the needs of the students. They are hoping that these new payment options will result in students not having to struggle to find street parking, and can instead choose to park on-campus in addition to paying when they are parking in order to avoid a ticket. They are eager to receive feedback on the new parking payment options, and would appreciate users sharing their thoughts by emailing parking@mst.edu.
