Hasta La Gadget!

As a cyclist, I see parking meters as nothing more than a place to chain my bike. For motorists, they are hungry monsters that need feeding regularly, if you can even find a free one to begin with. San Francisco’s new meters are set to change that, adjusting the prices automatically depending on demand.

Part of the two-year SFpark experiment, the new meters will detect how in-demand are the spaces they govern. Based on this info, the prices will be adjusted up and down, from 25-cents up to $6 per hour. The plan is to price parking at a rate that keeps around 20% of spaces free. This will mean that you can always find a spot, and will in turn mean less people are driving round and round the block looking for a space.

The prices won’t fluctuate wildly during the course of a day. The changes will be slow and self-leveling: the prices will change once a month or less, and then only by 50-cents at a time. You’ll be spared running into a store to make change, too: the new meters will also accept credit-cards and soon, an SFMTA card.

It seems that everyone will win here, although I’m a little worried about one of the new machines being introduced. Along with the traditional meters on sticks, there is a new meter which sits at the side of the road, governing all the spots on a street. It’s more efficient for cars, but where will I lock my bike?

Demand-Responsive Pricing [SFpark via Switched]

See Also:

• May 13, 1935: Enter the Parking Meter
• Smart Parking Meters Hacked — Free Parking For All!
• Cell Phones, Internet Bring Parking Meters into the 21st Century …

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