LETHBRIDGE – The City of Lethbridge has allotted $2-million in the municipal budget to the revamp of downtown parking meters.
After holding an information session for residents several weeks ago, the city has decided to move forward with continued research and planning for the option of new electronic hybrid-style parking meters and zoned parking stalls.
Val Fellger, the parking coordinator for the City of Lethbridge, said over 80 per cent of residents at the information session were in favour of that option.
“Basically you throw a quarter in and it lets you know how much time you have, but it provides no information to the city.”
The pay-by-plate machines would be stationed at predetermined spots along city blocks for drivers to use. Fellger said there is also the possibility of introducing technology where drivers pay from their cellphones, and use credit and debit cards instead of coins.
The Downtown Lethbridge BRZ said it’s about time that the downtown parking meters get overhauled to ease the fuss of shopping local.
“I think it’s time for them to go and I think it was a good move by the city to go forward with this initiative because we need a change,” said Ted Stilson, the BRZ’s Executive Director . “I think the new change will give and provide our customers and shoppers with a lot more opportunities and different types of options as far as payment.”
Fellger said they have been and will continue to research the new parking options fully so it can be a seamless transition, after being approved once again by city council.
“We don’t want to spend it unwisely. We want to make sure that the system we’re bringing in is the right system for the city.”
The City of Lethbridge said that over 1,600 parking meters would be affected if the option does get approved by council and they hope to implement it in the fall of 2016.
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