Durangoans have adopted a bent knees, arched back position with a forward-leaning and upward look to cope with the city‘s downtown parking meters. With the sun on the meter face the contortions can be even more extreme, requiring a close-up view.
And, even after, the results of the up or down arrows can still be in doubt. And then there is no certainty that the cash or credit card will be accepted.
It is good news that city government shares users’ frustrations with the difficult-to-read and complex meters, and is planning to test-before-purchasing a different meter next year.
Payment-by-phone had been an expectation with the current meters, but no such luck. That additional complexity is being postponed. So, too, and perhaps forever, the idea of having a linked parking meter system that can be adjusted in different ways in different locations from a distance. That technology – reliable technology – apparently does not exist.
Parking meters play a role in shopping and dining habits, balancing downtown employees’ parking needs with consumer access. In doing so, quarters, cash-card and credit-card payments and overdue parking fines are a $1 million-plus source of annual revenue for the city.
Durangoans have now had some experience dealing with high-tech meters. We expect they look forward to the improvements that will come from the next iteration in meters. Perhaps the physical demands on the body will not be so great, either.
