Mayor Kevin Faulconer is backing a five-year contract to install up to 5,000 “smart” parking meters throughout San Diego. Wednesday’s announcement is the latest twist in the project, which stalled earlier this year.
Voice of San Diego reported in February that City Hall had halted a contract with San Diego-based IPS Group Inc. to replace all the city’s parking meters with solar-powered versions that take credit cards.
“City officials acknowledged that while more than a year and hundreds of city staff hours were poured into the contracting effort, they decided to drop it when a ‘personnel matter’ emerged, along with questions about the process,” Voice reported.
Cities where the new meters have been installed have reported a big jump in revenues, including Santa Monica, among the pioneers for installing the meters in March 2011.
But a $1.7 billion lawsuit against Santa Monica raised the issue of health dangers from radiation.
“The plaintiff claims that radiation given off by the parking meters is responsible for ear infections, irregular menstrual cycles and back pains,” said one report. “When asked about the large sum of money noted in the suit, the plaintiff [said]: ‘I figured that’s the value of my life and health considering how much I had to go through as a child.’”
In La Mesa, where smart parking meters have been operating downtown for several years, complaints emerged that buried sensors reset the meters when drivers leaves their spaces.
Councilwoman Ruth Sterling said that when a person leaves a space with 20 minutes left on the smart meter, “the guy behind you can’t benefit,” the San Diego Reader noted.
One local merchant complained that “charging people for time they don’t receive is unconscionable,” but Councilman Ernie Ewin said a person “makes a choice to feed or card [a specific amount] into a meter.”
Coronado is among other local cities testing the smart parking meters, installing 30 along Orange Avenue.
In a news release, Faulconer was quoted as saying: “The new smart parking meters will allow San Diegans to use credit cards and, in the near future, smartphone apps to pay for parking.”
“Not having to rely on change to pay for parking is a big improvement for San Diego, and using mobile payments and real-time data is a sign that we’re embracing technology to improve the lives of residents and visitors.”
On Tuesday, the City Council approved a not-to-exceed contract of nearly $8.2 million with IPS Group Inc. to install up to 5,000 meters and related services. The city and its Community Parking Districts had previously set aside money from parking-meter revenue to pay for the purchase of smart-meter technology. The ongoing costs of the smart meters during the five-year deal will be covered by revenue generated by those meters.
The city currently has 50 “smart” single-space meters in use in Hillcrest under a pilot program with IPS Group that began in 2009. Those spaces saw an average 8 percent increase in revenue during the first year. IPS posted a how-to video in April.
The city says smart parking meters offer several features, including:
- Multiple payment options, including the use of credit cards and future mobile payment possibilities.
- A user-friendly interface.
- Speedy installation because they are compatible with the city’s existing meter hardware.
- Increased efficiency in coin collection because real-time data allows staff to design more efficient collection routes based on how full the meter is.
- Real-time revenue statistics for each meter.
- Immediate notification of repair/maintenance issues, thus minimizing meter downtime.
