Meter contract gets OK
The Tampa city council on Thursday awarded a $2.1 million contract to a Chicago-based company to replace many of the city's parking meters with state-of-the-art kiosks.
The contract calls for replacing more than 1,000 obsolete single-space meters with 146 multispace meters, operated by Standard Parking Corporation. The meters can accommodate between seven and eight spots and will take credit and debit cards, as well as coins.
The proposal was approved 5-2, with council members Joseph Caetano and Charlie Miranda voting against it.
Funding will come mostly from accumulated interest on utility tax bonds and community redevelopment dollars that have been budgeted, city officials said.
Steve Daignault, the city's public works and utilities administrator, said making the switch will mean increased business for many of downtown's struggling merchants whose customers have complained about the archaic drop-in-a-coin-and-twist-the-dial machines.
Not having to collect money or service the meters will reduce the city's fuel and maintenance costs, city officials say, and will give commuters and visitors more on-street parking options in the city's downtown.
The high-tech meters would be installed in the high-traffic downtown core bordered by Tyler Street to the north, Nebraska Avenue to the east, Whiting Street to the south and Ashley Drive to the west. Some single-space meters outside that area will remain.
The kiosks would also be equipped with "smart" technology that would, if activated, allow motorists to use a special pre-purchased card or even a cell phone to pay for parking.
For now, the city doesn't plan to increase the parking rates, which are $1.50 an hour downtown and 75 cents an hour for meters outside the business district.
The city expects the new meters to be installed within the next three months.
The proposal was approved 5-2, with council members Joseph Caetano and Charlie Miranda voting against it.
Funding will come mostly from accumulated interest on utility tax bonds and community redevelopment dollars that have been budgeted, city officials said.
Steve Daignault, the city's public works and utilities administrator, said making the switch will mean increased business for many of downtown's struggling merchants whose customers have complained about the archaic drop-in-a-coin-and-twist-the-dial machines.
Not having to collect money or service the meters will reduce the city's fuel and maintenance costs, city officials say, and will give commuters and visitors more on-street parking options in the city's downtown.
The high-tech meters would be installed in the high-traffic downtown core bordered by Tyler Street to the north, Nebraska Avenue to the east, Whiting Street to the south and Ashley Drive to the west. Some single-space meters outside that area will remain.
The kiosks would also be equipped with "smart" technology that would, if activated, allow motorists to use a special pre-purchased card or even a cell phone to pay for parking.
For now, the city doesn't plan to increase the parking rates, which are $1.50 an hour downtown and 75 cents an hour for meters outside the business district.
The city expects the new meters to be installed within the next three months.
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