2008 Woodie Awards
Campus parking meters go high-tech
Catherine Roberts
Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
ISU's old school parking meters have recently been replaced with high-tech electronic meters, complete with LED lights and the capacity to provide electronic printouts of usage. They also don't jam up like the old ones did.
Director of Public Safety Stephen Chatterton explained that, "they don't make mechanical ones (parking meters) anymore" and parts for the mechanical parking meters were becoming scarce and more difficult to find.
"We were running out of parts", Chatterton said.
Chatterton stated that ISU's Parking Board approved unanimously the implementation of the new parking meter project last year, which was put into action during the summer and is now completed. Some 290 new and improved meters dot the parking areas where the old ones once were. According to Chatterton, the new meters cost $108 each for a total of $31,000, but that they essentially pay for themselves.
Chatterton claims that the new parking meters are an improvement with many advantages. One of those advantages is monitoring the money inserted into them through the computer printouts, which download from the meter itself. The amount of money in the meter determines when each should be emptied.
One of the problems with the older meters was that it was difficult to tell at any given time how full the meter was. Eventually the meters would become too full, resulting in a meter jam.
In addition, the new meters don't use gears, which Chatterton stated now allows people to "see the actual numbers as it winds down".
Depending upon where the parking meters are located, the amount of parking time on them varies. The Administration building parking allows for two hours, while the College of Technology parking allows for only thirty minutes.
"The folks at the College of Technology feel it (the thirty-minute time limit) is adequate, that's what they want," said Chatterton.
Most of the parking at the College of Technology is mainly for students wanting to park just long enough to get information.
Director of Public Safety Stephen Chatterton explained that, "they don't make mechanical ones (parking meters) anymore" and parts for the mechanical parking meters were becoming scarce and more difficult to find.
"We were running out of parts", Chatterton said.
Chatterton stated that ISU's Parking Board approved unanimously the implementation of the new parking meter project last year, which was put into action during the summer and is now completed. Some 290 new and improved meters dot the parking areas where the old ones once were. According to Chatterton, the new meters cost $108 each for a total of $31,000, but that they essentially pay for themselves.
Chatterton claims that the new parking meters are an improvement with many advantages. One of those advantages is monitoring the money inserted into them through the computer printouts, which download from the meter itself. The amount of money in the meter determines when each should be emptied.
One of the problems with the older meters was that it was difficult to tell at any given time how full the meter was. Eventually the meters would become too full, resulting in a meter jam.
In addition, the new meters don't use gears, which Chatterton stated now allows people to "see the actual numbers as it winds down".
Depending upon where the parking meters are located, the amount of parking time on them varies. The Administration building parking allows for two hours, while the College of Technology parking allows for only thirty minutes.
"The folks at the College of Technology feel it (the thirty-minute time limit) is adequate, that's what they want," said Chatterton.
Most of the parking at the College of Technology is mainly for students wanting to park just long enough to get information.
Be the first to comment on this story