High Tech Parking Meters To Be Installed In Mpls.

By Amelia Santaniello, WCCO-TV

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- New parking meters in downtown Minneapolis mean drivers may never have to fumble around for loose change in downtown Minneapolis, but they won't be able to circle around looking for free time on a meter, either.

By the end of November, 46 electronic parking stations will go live in the North Loop, which used to be called the Warehouse District. Drivers can use a credit or check card for parking time.

The new meters are a good deal for the city. In other places, people tend to pay for the most amount of time, not just the number of quarters they can find. And because one machine covers 10 parking spaces, gone are the days of checking for a free 15 minutes that might be left on a meter.

One warning, however: these meters are connected to a web-based system that tells monitors when they expire. So, pay now or you may have to pay later.

Minneapolis will test out the pay stations in the North Loop and in a parking area near the Convention Center through spring.