Multi-space Parking Meter Features
Posted: Sept, 08, 2020 10:27AM ET • 3 min read
When exploring multi-space parking meter options for your parking facility—whether that’s Pay-and-Display or Pay-by-Plate—it helps to understand the market’s standards for automated parking meter solutions.
Several aspects you need to take into consideration are the user interface, accepted payment types, software capabilities, and the overall design of the parking meter.
User Interface
One of the most important aspects of a parking meter is the user interface and experience design. Is it user-friendly and intuitive? Are the controls, such as buttons and payment inputs, easy to identify and use? Some leading-edge integrations in parking meter interfaces today are: LED colour, touch and full-audio display screens that can feature instructions or advertisements, motion-activated LED lights, and sleek capacitive keyboards for Pay-by-Plate meters.
Accepted Payment Types
The payment types that your meters are capable of accepting is also very important to your decision. For example, payment by credit card is a must nowadays. Other popular payment types include coin, debit, mobile pay, validation code or licence-plate-based parking validations.
Design
When exploring parking meter options for your facility, you should consider solar-panel versus hard-wired powered operations, security measures such as the type of material it’s made out of and the lock technologies used, the systems performance in extreme weather conditions and against vandalism and the aesthetic appeal of the unit.
Software Capabilities
At its very core the central software should provide easy-to-use statistical and financial reporting as well as generate alarms whenever there is a problem with the device. Advanced systems would include dashboards, graphs and charts, ability to integrate with or work with third party platforms such as mobile payment applications and enforcement software, and include analytical capabilities for past and future trend analysis.
Parking meters are an affordable and effective solution for paid parking facilities. Use the criteria listed above as a starting point during your search for the right parking meter supplier and model.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Ivo
Director of Production & Support Services
As director for Precise ParkLink’s production and support services, John is responsible for setting and enforcing the policies and procedures that ensure all equipment is built to clients’ specifications and supported according to factory recommendations. This means he takes the time to understand his clients’ requirements, coordinates with management to oversee the preparation of production proposals, and works with the production team to monitor and optimize workflow to ensure on-time delivery. When John joined Precise ParkLink in 2013, he brought with him over two decades of engineering, logistics, and project management experience. Early in his professional career, after studying mechanical engineering technology and design, John worked for S&C Electric’s development team, designing high-voltage switches for major clients like municipalities and utilities, including Toronto Hydro. Today, he applies his expertise in engineering theory and practice in a management role, overseeing a team of over 65 employees who are involved in all aspects of the production and service process.
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