Old parking meters will be replaced with new pay stations in downtown Kamloops by the end of October.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
September 30, 2013 - 1:09 PM
KAMLOOPS – It's not quite a solid date yet, but the new pay stations set to replace the old parking meters in downtown are to be installed by late October, which means residents can expect parking rates to go up sometime in early November.
The 90 new pay stations will replace 850 meters and will accept cash, credit card and pay by phone options. The rates will increase to $1 per hour from the current $0.50 per hour and the maximum amount of time will be extended to three hours. Rates are also scheduled to go up to $1.25 per hour in 2015 and to $1.50 per hour in 2018 but could be reviewed the next time transit rates increase.
Minimum fine rates will also increase to $10, from $5, and hours of operations will remain the same Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The city presented the plan to the public in February and then in March agreed to go ahead with the new program. Late July staff announced they were able to secure the equipment through Precise ParkLink Inc. for nearly $500,000 less than the approved budget of $1.7 million.
The equipment will be similar to that used in other city parking lots, such as Interior Savings Centre, and will feature solar panels and battery that hold a charge for up to 30 days without direct sunlight.
To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca, call (250)819-3723 or tweet @JennStahn.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013