Steve Finke, Dayton’s assistant director of public works, said that by late August, several 75-minute meters could be installed on the east side of Main Street between First and Third as well as several 2-hour meters on the south side of Third Street near Sinclair Community College.
The new meters will accept coins as well as credit cards, but will also be more expensive regardless of the type of payment; the new meters will charge 2 cents per minute, compared to the current meters which only cost 1 cent per minute.
Finke said the city has to pay the meters' vendor, IPS Group of San Diego, 13 cents per transaction, as well as a $10 per meter per month fee for the Internet interface.
“I think it will be more convenient for the customers,” Finke said, noting that Cincinnati, Columbus and Indianapolis are testing or installing the meters as well.
“A lot of times you see people digging for change and they can’t find it.”
The test meters on Third Street will replace existing meters, but the Main Street meters will create parking in what has been a no-parking area.
“We need to make some decisions,” Finke said. “Our meters are 10 years old, and we’re having breakdown problems. We have coin chute failures right and left.”
Dayton City Manager Tim Riordan said the city eventually will have some combination of credit-card and coin meter systems.
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