The city of Durango’s new parking meters, which went into operation Monday, are undergoing what in nautical terms is called a shakedown cruise – a period to work out kinks, glitches and misunderstandings.

There have been a number of these, Kent Harris, the city transit parking operations manager, said Thursday, in response to complaints that some of the 1,010 new meters don’t work.

Eight meters that users said didn’t register time when fed quarters worked when Transit Center personnel tested them with quarters, Harris said.

“We don’t know what happened, what coins they were using,” Harris said.

The city Thursday was not monitoring parking meters – only red and yellow zones, said Roy Petersen, city of Durango’s general services director.

Reports of smart-card or credit-card meters charging too much has an explanation, Harris said. Those types of meters default to a given amount – $3 for three hours – unless the user indicates otherwise, Harris said.

That is done by toggling on a key pad and then pressing the OK button.

“If you don’t press the OK button, you don’t buy any time,” Harris said.

No OK is required on a meter that takes only smart cards, Harris said. The user inserts the smart card repeatedly until the desired amount of time registers.

Personnel at Durango Transit Center, at west Eighth Street and Camino del Rio, are available to answer questions, Harris said.

The city quickly sold out the first 250 smart cards, which replace the cash key. But 500 more will be available today and 5,000 more within a couple of weeks, Harris said.

Harris said the number of smart cards available, which cost $10, is based on the number of cash keys in circulation.

Swapping the cash key for a smart card was painfully slow from the start because there was only one machine to program the new cards.

A smartphone application will be available within 45 days that permits a driver to pay by phone, Harris said. The system will alert drivers 15 minutes before time expires to allow them to add more time.

The city has 365 new credit-card meters and 645 smart-card meters, which accept coins and prepaid cards.

Credit-card meters accept smart cards and coins. They were installed along Main Avenue from the 500 block to 11th Street and on side streets between Narrow Gauge Avenue and the alley between Main Avenue and East Second Avenue.

Harris repeated the invitation: Questions may be directed to Transit Center employees.

daler@durangoherald.com