Solar Pay-and-Display Parking Stations On the Way

"Keep the change" is a fitting slogan for the city's new fleet of solar pay-and-display pay stations, which are on order.

In February the city awarded the bid for parking pay stations to CALE America, out of Tampa, Fla., which was the low bidder of the seven bids received, coming in at $27,200 for the first seven machines.

The pay stations will accept cash or credit cards.

According to Jill Stansfield of the city's transportation department, installation should begin by the end of May or early June.

Because the pay stations are solar, wiring will not be a factor and will not disrupt the newer sidewalk construction along Main Street, Stansfield said.

"The pay stations will be phased-in as we do the sidewalks, and they won't be hardwired," Stansfield said. "Phase one of the pay stations will go in between West Hollis and Canal streets."

A total of 20 machines have been ordered, 16 to go on Main Street and two at each of the city's parking garages.

The cost of purchasing the pay stations, $140,000, was approved by the Board of Aldermen, and came out of the city's sidewalk improvement fund, Stansfield said.

"Once we get closer to installing them, we will assemble a team from inside this office and some from outside, and and we will be walking around to downtown businesses and letting them know when they will be coming and provide handouts, similar to what we did when we changed the parking rate structure downtown," Stansfield said.

Mayor Donnalee Lozeau said the first wave of meters will include installation of seven machines – two in each of the city's two parking garages, and the rest on Main Street, between Peddler's Daughter and Park Street on the east side, and Sausage King to Water Street on the west side.