Thankfully since I ride the bus to and from work, and as often as possible other times, I've hardly had to use the SmartMeter. When I do, though, the directions you see on the meter give me confidence that I can do it. And I've just discovered on the Web site well-illustrated, step-by-step instructions, too.
See the digital clock? I took these photos at 7:27 a.m., standing on SW 3rd Avenue, waiting for my second morning bus.
From the Web site: A smart card is a credit-card-sized plastic card with a smart chip embedded in it. The smart chip holds information in electronic form – in this case, electronic money. The card can be reloaded when you want to purchase more parking time.
I particularly enjoyed this information that I found at the Web site: What are the benefits to the public? Parking customers have more payment options (coin, credit/debit card, and smart card). Customers receive a receipt and are able to take their remaining parking time with them to another space. Removing meter posts has freed up sidewalk space for pedestrians. SmartMeters are more reliable.
For my money, the best benefit is freeing up sidewalk space. I can't even imagine what they were like before the old single space meters were replaced, around 7100 of them I read.
Do you have to pay to park on your downtown streets?
