High-Tech Parking Meters Installed in Riverside
Thursday, Jan 7, 2010 | Updated 2:54 PM PDT
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Parking meters with more user-friendly features, including the option of adding time via mobile phone, will be installed in downtown Riverside this weekend.
Three dozen LUKE multi-space parking kiosks are expected to be up and running on 10 Riverside streets on Monday, according to the city's Department of Parking Services.
The LUKE kiosks, manufactured by British Columbia-based Digital Payment Technologies, were selected by city residents via an online poll last year.
Residents were given the opportunity to choose between LUKE and one other system, both of which were on display at City Hall.
"The survey helped design a parking system to better serve downtown businesses and their customers," said City Councilman Mike Gardner.
The LUKE kiosks operate similar to the city's current parking system, made by Petaluma-based Ventek International Inc., requiring users to select a stall number and pay to reserve the space for a certain amount of time.
However, unlike the current system, motorists can use a credit card and reset the meter via mobile phone before it runs out, according to Parking Services.
City officials said the new kiosks will have large, easy-to-read displays and instructions that are simple to follow.
The kiosks will also be placed in a half-dozen parking lots downtown.
