David Michael Miller
In May, the Madison Parking Utility installed new “smart” meters around the city. Now credit cards can be used at every city parking spot.
Madison is playing the field when it comes to on-street parking vendors. The city is currently involved with two companies: Metric Group and IPS Group. But Madison hopes to settle down with just one vendor in 2020.
Metric, based in the United Kingdom, and Madison have history. Ten years ago, the parking utility installed multi-space parking kiosks downtown to replace the remaining coin-only meters. These are the parking spots where there is no meter, just a space number. Instead of plugging coins, parkers pay at a nearby kiosk or through the MobileNOW! app. Bill Putnam, Madison Parking Utility engineer, says being able to pay for street parking with a credit card was a new innovation at the time.
But now, “our multi-space [kiosks] are getting close to the end of their useful life,” says Putman. “A lot of them are close to 10 years old. The expected service life is usually around 7. Some of them are really due to be replaced.”
The multi-space kiosks from Metric cost between $8,000-$10,000 a pop. Parkers pay $2 per hour.
Enter the new parking vendor hotshot IPS, headquartered in sunny San Diego. In May 2019, the city replaced its remaining 650 coin-only meters with IPS’ single-space “smart” parking meters after a yearlong pilot program in 2018. These meters look like a traditional single-pole, coin meter but they accept credit cards, too. Each has its own data connection and is solar-powered (with a battery backup). These meters also charge $2 per hour.
“Now every parking meter in the city can be paid for with coins or Visa or MasterCard,” says Putnam. “So far, we’ve gotten a good service out of the new smart meters.”
The single-space “smart” meters cost $500 each but come with monthly service fees. Though cheaper upfront for the city, there is one big drawback for users: They cannot currently use a mobile app to pay for parking. IPS does have a mobile payment system through the Park Smarter app, but the city hasn’t integrated it.
Putnam says the city does not want to ask parkers to download multiple apps and that likely means deciding to go with just one company’s platform. “UW-Madison also uses a totally different app [ParkMobile] for their spaces on campus,” says Putman. “There is some appeal in a platform that can be used anywhere...whether it’s city parking or university parking.
“We want to have a mobile app for every space in the city,” he continues. “Right now, we have two vendors we are working with and that’s complicating integration with a mobile app. We hope to get app payments online for every meter in the city before the end of 2020.”
Before then, Madison will be piloting IPS’ multi-space kiosk system. The parking utility expects to install it in early 2020, either on Martin Luther King Boulevard or the 10 block of East or West Doty.
“We like to test meters during the winter because that’s the most challenging environment for them to work in,” adds Putnam.
Depending on how that pilot project goes, Madison will adopt a combination of “smart” single-space meters and multi-space kiosks — or it may get rid of multi-space parking altogether.
“Each has advantages and disadvantages. We have to be diligent about clearing snow away from the smart meters and keep an eye out for batteries that need to be replaced,” says Putnam. “Don’t have to worry about that with a multi-space system but customers also have to walk to kiosks, which are sometimes down the block in the wrong direction.”
In early 2020, the city will continue to weigh its parking suitors.
“What’s the most convenient and least confusing options for people,” says Putnam. “That’s our goal.”
