Visitors to downtown Denver are becoming accustomed to new solar-powered parking meters that accept credit cards and are far more user-friendly than the old coins-only variety.
As a result, the new meters are making it easier to avoid those annoying yellow envelopes and the $25 tickets they come with, but that also means less revenue for the city.
Not only do we find ourselves less often victims of expired meters, we appreciate the forward-thinking policies that make city living, or city visits, easier. It may be bad for city coffers, but it’s good for motorists.
And while the loss of revenue might suggest some short-term pain for strained city budgets, better parking arrangements downtown should lead to more customers wanting to dine in restaurants, peruse shops or tend to business matters. Ultimately, it could lead to improved economic benefits that help strengthen the local economy — and with it stronger tax revenues.
Since the new meters started replacing the old ones in February, overall ticket collection has dropped significantly.
According to the website Face The State, which analyzed Denver ticket collection data, parking enforcement officers issued only 16,000 tickets in April, compared to 20,000 in April 2009, when drivers still had to mostly scrounge for spare change.
Face The State projected the data forward and found that the city could lose more than $1 million.
For most of us who have used the new meters, there is little mystery why. Where before a lack of change meant risking a fine, now a simple swipe of a credit card allows you to key in as little or as much time as need. The digital readouts are plainly visible and the touch technology is straightforward.
Yes, loss of ticket revenue adds to the city’s challenges in a down economy but Denver Public Works analyst Dominic Vaiana tells us the city made the switch because officials want to promote ease of use — not fill out tickets. In fact, Vaiana says Denver knew ticket revenue would drop, but believed the city would be better off if the $25 that would have been spent on a ticket is instead spent in a downtown business.
We agree. This is not one of those unintended-consequences stories, but rather an actual success. Parking enforcement should not prop up the budget. It should prevent scofflaws from hogging space near popular areas. Turnover at parking meters is good for business.
The total of all parking tickets each year barely breaks $20 million. That’s hardly a significant source of income for a city with a budget last year that approached $860 million.
Vaiana tells us that installation of more than 4,000 smart meters is underway, and that some traditional meters could be phased out, as studies indicated metered parking is no longer needed in all areas.
We look forward to seeing more of the smart meters and congratulate Denver for providing them for downtown drivers.
