WATCH ABOVE: The City of Westmount will be updating its old-school parking meters with a project to implement a Pay-by-plate system by spring 2016. Global’s Felicia Parrillo reports.
WESTMOUNT – If you’ve ever driven around the City of Montreal, you probably remember the days when you used to feed a parking meter with coins.
About ten years ago, Parking Montreal installed electronic meters in most of the city to make it easier to pay.
Westmount didn’t follow suit.
“Anyone who is familiar with parking in Westmount knows that we use archaic coin-operated meters,” said Philip A. Cutler, Westmount City Councillor.
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Those days will soon be over.
The City of Westmount has approved a project to implement a Pay-by-plate system by spring 2016.
“What that means is you’re able to pay using your license plate,” said Cutler.
“So, the tag is not associated with a space or a location – it’s actually your car that’s able to be affiliated with the spot or payment.”
He said he would like the new meters to accept electronic payments, notes and coin.
Cutler said the city is also hoping to create a mobile parking app, but the details are still being worked out.
Some residents told Global News they don’t want change.
They believe the new system will only benefit the city by putting money in their pockets.
“If I leave time in the parking meters and I leave and someone else comes, they can take advantage of it,” explained one resident.
Others said they’re fine with it.
“I guess we have to progress sooner or later, but we kind of like our meters here – it’s like home,” said a Westmount resident.
A home that’ll soon be changing, one meter at a time.
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