http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/3702984.html
(update on Houston wireless project here: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/tech/news/3713818.html) One phone call will feed meter Houston drivers will soon pay for parking by using a card or cell phone By ALEXIS GRANT Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Your meeting is running late, but you can't leave the room to feed your ticking parking meter. So you use your cell phone, discreetly, to buy yourself more time. Sound like a dream? It could soon be reality in Houston. Once the city's new tech-savvy parking meters are installed, drivers likely will be able to pay using credit cards, dollar bills, and, yes, cell phones. "Not everyone has loose change handy when parking at a meter," said Liliana Rambo, assistant director of parking management. "We want to give our customers options, like paying through their cell phones, so they can take advantage of parking even when they don't have spare change at hand." The new meters, which would replace those at 2,300 downtown metered spaces, should start popping up in early summer, Rambo said. Late next month, she plans to present a $15 million contract proposal to City Council, which must approve the project. The overhaul would make Houston the first city nationwide to manage parking meters on a wireless network, Rambo said. Most cities that allow payment by credit card use meters that are offline. To pay by cell phone, customers can either call an automated service, send a text message or visit a Web site using a cell phone. They first must pre-register their address, license tag number and credit card, either by phone or online. Cell-phone payment technology is already in use in several small cities across the country. It's more prevalent in Europe and Canada than in the United States. Frank Maduri, CEO of Canada-based Mint Inc., which provides cell-phone payment options, said it's becoming more popular as more people own cell phones. "We've probably hit an important milestone or a crossroads where I think you're going to see more and more cities do it," Maduri said. William Carlson, parking director for the city of Coral Gables, Fla., said he would recommend the program to other municipalities. Coral Gables became the first in the country to use cell-phone payment in July 2005. "It is extremely user-friendly and it is inexpensive to the city," Carlson said. It saves the city money because it doesn't require expensive parking meters. Houston, however, would not bank on those savings because it would have both wireless parking meters and a cell phone option. Under the proposal, downtown would see more changes than just new meters. Clearer signs would be posted and hash marks painted on the street to help drivers recognize areas where parking is prohibited. Initially, about 750 multiple-space meters would be installed for 2,300 downtown spots. In the second phase of the project, another 750 new meters would replace old meters and mark new metered spaces around Houston during the next five years. There are 6,000 metered spots within city limits. The new meters will not accept payment during times when parking is prohibited for some reason in a space where it normally is allowed, Rambo said. The meters will run on a new wireless network, which would be the first step toward creating a larger network that blankets downtown. The city recently opened bidding for a citywide network. Seven contractors competed for the parking project during a five-week testing period last year when several wireless meters were installed downtown. The name of the selected vendor hasn't yet been released because the city is still negotiating the contract. A new city Parking Commission will determine where meters are placed. The City Council approved the creation of the group last fall, and 13 of its 15 members have been chosen, Rambo said. The commission will comprise nine voting members with experience in the field and six non-voting members who represent the city, county and Metropolitan Transit Authority. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TELECOM-CITIES Current searchable archives (Feb. 1, 2006 to present) at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Old searchble archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
