The City of Syracuse has begun installing new parking meters, signaling a light at the end of tunnel for drivers who have had difficulty paying for parking.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse drivers rejoice!

The city has begun installing 75 new parking meters in spots around the city, replacing old meters that have been rejecting credit cards and dollar bills, complicating the parking process for residents and visitors. It hopes to install 150 new meters, replacing about half of the meters in the city, by the end of the year.

A combination of supply-chain challenges and refurbished parking meters breaking down faster than city officials expected led to frequent complaints and inconvenienced drivers in recent months, limiting many drivers to paying for parking via smartphone or searching on foot for a working meter.

“I’m glad people are noticing (the installation),” said Corey Driscoll Dunham, the city’s chief operating officer. “A bit belated obviously. But better late than never. Apologies to those who have had to deal with frustration the past few months. This is where we hoped to be back in April and May. Because of the delays, we’re here in the fall rather than the spring.”

The city said it has received 75 meters from its order of 300 that was placed in February at a cost of $2 million. The city expects that allotment of 75 will be installed over the next two weeks. It hopes to get an additional 75 into the ground before weather impacts the installation process.

Driscoll Dunham said that meters can’t be installed during the worst of winter because the process includes drilling holes in the ground. The chemical epoxy used to secure the meters is also less effective in the cold.

She said the installation process will prioritize areas of the city that are busiest and areas where the city knows there are consistent issues with meters breaking down.

The city bought many of its current stock refurbished in 2015 and 2016. It believes that most of its meters are about a decade old. The aging technology in them led to issues with the wireless connection needed to process credit card payments.

“We are painfully aware of it,” Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said of the issues in August.

The breakdowns led to the city asking drivers to pay using a cell phone app, creating potential challenges for people who might not own smart phones or who might not have access to them while parking. The Flowbird app, which the city encouraged using, also charges drivers a surcharge of 35 cents for each transaction.

Driscoll Dunham said that the city is looking at additional ways to make paying easier, including the possibility of paying for parking via text message.

Contact Chris Carlson anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-382-7932

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022).

© 2022 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.

Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.