City to test out new parking meter technology

Edmontonians in the downtown area might notice new technology curbside – they’re part of a pilot program to test out a different way to pay to park in city parking spaces.

The City of Edmonton is launching a six-month test of the EPark parking system.

The solar-powered meters accept coins, debit and credit – along with pay-by-cellphone technology.

“It will really help those Edmontonians who don’t know how much time is left on the meter,” Mayor Stephen Mandel said Friday. “They’ll be able to put more time on without running back to the meter, and I think it’s just a great addition to our parking portfolio.”

However, officials admit the technology will also make it easier and quicker to enforce parking.

Officials in Calgary said in the six years since the machines were installed, driver compliance has gone up – as has the amount of money coming in from parking, and ticket enforcement.

“It also includes revenue in our parkades and surface lots and our annual revenue for the Calgary Parking Authority is $72 million,” Troy McLeod with the Calgary Parking Authority said.

It’s part of a technology exchange between Edmonton and Calgary.

Calgary has used the ParkPlus System for parking in city parking by the Calgary Parking Authority since 2007 – the program has grown to manage 6,572 on-street parking spaces, and 8,270 off-street stalls.

In turn, Calgary is taking advantage of LED street lighting Edmonton has been implementing.

So far, in Edmonton, 13,000 of the city’s approximate 100,000 street lights are LED lights – and crews are replacing the high pressure sodium street lights at a rate of 4,600 per year.

The lights reduce power consumption, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting light pollution on city streets.

Both cities are putting the other’s technology to the test this summer, with Calgary installing the lights in a selected neighbourhood, and along different roads.

In Edmonton, fifteen of the parking machines are on loan from Calgary and have been installed in the City Hall Parkade and on streets near City Hall – the machines will be used for six months.

If the project is successful, the city could get bids for a permenant system by 2014.

More information on the city’s EPark pilot program can be found online.

With files from David Ewasuk