How much does it cost to park?
Parking rates depend on whether it is on-street parking or off-street parking. For a specific breakdown on rates, please visit: Parking Rates
Is there a time limit on how long a vehicle can be parked in a metered space?
For on-street parking outside of the Business District and for Town Municipal Parking Lots, there is a 2 hour time limit from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday, and a 4 hour time limit from 3:00 pm to 6:00 am, Monday through Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday.
For on-street parking in the Business District, there is a non-renewable 2 hour maximum parking time limit between the hours of 10:00 am through 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
For off-street parking on weekend and holidays, there is a 4 hour non-renewable time limit from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and a 4 hour renewable limit from 5:00 pm to 9:00 am. On weekdays, there is a 4 hour non-renewable limit from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and a 4 hour renewable limit from 5:00 pm to 9:00 am.
What type of parking meters does the Town have?
The Town has a combination of multi-space and single-space meters and also pay-by-phone.
Are the new meters accessible to people with disabilities?
Vehicles displaying a valid handicap placard are exempt from payment but must comply with the four hour maximum parking time limit.
What is Pay by Plate?
Pay by Plate is a fairly new technology that will make it even easier for our customers to pay for parking. Customers, who park in the areas where Pay by Plate machines will be available, will no longer need coins or bills to pay for parking. They will only need a credit/debit card and their license plate number. However, the machines will accept coins and bills, if customers wish to pay with currency.
How does it work?
Paying for parking with Pay by Plate takes only 3 simple steps.
- Customers park, walk up to the nearest Pay by Plate machine.
- Press any key on the keypad to turn the meter on (if it is in “sleep” mode).
- Punch in their license plate number, make payment. Transaction is completed!
Do customers need to place the receipt on the dashboard?
No, with Pay by Plate it is not necessary to display the receipt on the dashboard. Printing receipt is optional; however, it is not necessary.
How do parking enforcement officers know that I have paid?
With this new technology, once parking enforcement officers scan the license plate, their paid/unpaid status will be displayed on their tablets. That’s the reason why it is no longer necessary to display the receipt on the dashboard.
Is there a surcharge involved with this new technology?
No, there are no additional charges assessed.
Why did you make this change?
The Town has many reasons for changing parking technology, including improved customer convenience, predictability, and reliability. Many existing single-space meters were aging, requiring more frequent repairs and difficult-to-find parts. Beyond greater reliability, the other benefits that come with the new parking technology include:
- Parkers can now pay by coin, bill, credit card, debit card and pay-by-phone. You no longer have to worry about having enough change.
- Extensive reporting capabilities give the Town much better control over cash flow.
- Any number of rates may be configured on the system to give the Town flexibility in addressing different parking situations while offering optimum choice.
Why should I pay?
While no one likes to pay for parking, pay parking serves the Town and the public with valuable benefits that not everyone thinks about. For example, turnover of parking spaces is created through pay parking. This turnover means that more people can find available parking spaces during the day and ensures that merchants have a steady flow of new customers coming to their businesses.
Does this meter take credit cards?
Yes, the new meters accept American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover. They also have the ability to accept smart cards should we decide to offer those expanded options in the future. You will also always receive a receipt as a record of your credit card purchase.
If I use my credit card, what happens if it gets stuck inside the meter?
Unlike many other multi-space parking meters, bank machines, and kiosks, the Town's new parking meters do not totally ingest the card so you can always have physical contact and access to your card.
Is my credit card data safe if I use it on one of these new meters?
All of the credit card data stored on the meter is encrypted so that it can't be read by anyone, including Town personnel. The credit card transactions are also approved by the banks in real-time so you have an authorization number on your receipt to reference your transaction with your credit card company.
What do I do if I park in a metered space and do not have change?
You can purchase a parking ticket at a master pay station using $1 bills or a credit card and place the ticket on your dashboard and pay-by-phone.
Why doesn't the parking meter give change?
The Town decided that the costs and benefits of the changers did not warrant the additional costs. The Town has structured the rates so that change should not be required for most purchases. In addition, with the option to use your credit card, you can always ensure you only pay the exact price of the parking rate.
These parking meters are too complicated.
We recognize that it may take some time to get used to the new system, but we believe the added benefits like flexible payment options will make the learning effort worthwhile. We also feel you will be as comfortable with the new meters as you are with the old ones after only a few uses.
What happens if the meter doesn't work?
If you are having difficulties with a parking meter or if you would like to report a problem with the meter, please call the Police Department 24 hours a day/seven days a week at 305.861.4862.
Occasionally a meter may have a problem accepting a particular form of payment, for example, cards or coins, but it will continue to accept other forms of payment. The payment message will automatically be adjusted to only indicate payment options that are working at that time. In the rare situation where an individual meter goes completely offline, parkers can still park in a space near an out-of-service meter as long as they purchase a receipt from another meter nearby, for example, around the corner or in another part of the lot. This is beneficial to the parker as currently they are prohibited from parking at out-of-service meters.
In addition to alarms for payment issues, other messages communicated to Town staff allow for just-in-time maintenance so that coin collection canisters may be emptied before they jam and receipt paper rolls may be replaced before they run out. The Town expects to see a significant reduction in out-of-service times with the new meters compared with the single-space meter.
Who do I contact for more information?
For more information, please contact Parking Operations Manager Elinor Joseph at 305.861.4862.