Credit card parking meters coming to Downtown Phoenix

October 04, 2012

The City of Phoenix will be providing nearly 500 new locations next year to use your credit or debit cards -- in the city’s parking meters. KJZZ’s Al Macias reports.

AL MACIAS: The city’s transportation department is asking the city council to approve a plan for hundreds of meters to be installed in the downtown area. Motorists would use coins, credit or debit cards to pay for their parking. Mike Hughes is the project manager. He says the city tested the credit card meters for 18 months.

MIKE HUGHES: There were certain areas of the city that got more use than others, regarding the credit cards. The credit card use did increase we did get a lot of positive feedback. They’re happy to have another choice.

MACIAS: If the council approves the plan later this month, most of the meters will be installed in the downtown area with others uptown and near Phoenix College starting in January. Hughes says, down the road the meters could be upgraded so you can reload the parking meter with a cell phone app.