Release Date: Wednesday, April 27th 2011
Tempe gets parking meters that take credit cards
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Seventy-nine solar-powered parking meters that let motorists pay with both coins and credit cards have been installed on Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe.
The association that runs most of downtown Tempe's parking is testing the meters for 90 days to determine if it wants to purchase them and eventually install them on the 540 metered spaces it manages.
After the trial period, the Downtown Tempe Association will compare revenue with the same period of last year to see if they bring in more money.
Adam Jones, the association's vice president of parking and operations, told the East Valley Tribune that meters that take credit cards in other cities have attracted more customers.
In just the first week, 26 percent of revenue from those meters came through credit cards.
