Whether or not to replace parking meters in Windsor with modern cashless options is up for debate by city council.
An administration report going to Monday's council meeting recommends ending cash payments at all metered on-street parking and moving to the city's Passport app as a way of digitally paying for parking services.
Concerns have been raised about the proposal over the digital divide, as some residents and visitors may not have access to a smartphone or be comfortable with using digital payment methods.
Ward 3 councillor Renaldo Agostino is an advocate for modernization and hopes council gives the proposal a chance.
"Modernizing what we're trying to do here is not only going to help the city, but it's also going to help the customers; it's going to help the businesses. There's no question about it; every city is doing this. I don't want us to fall behind. I see this as a huge opportunity, and hopefully we can make it work," he says.
If council approves the recommendation, those who still want to pay for parking by cash, debit, or credit card would need to park at a city-operated parking garage or lot.
According to the report, the model being recommended could result in increased revenue while also allowing for different pay-for-parking times, as fees can be structured based on the time of day, week, sponsored parking, and discounted parking.
Agostino says modernatization is a huge opportunity.
"When you look at the idea of gaining more revenue, and when you look at the idea of attracting more customers, you can do that all digitally. I can't do that the way it is now; I can't do that with coins," he says.
Agostino likes that the technology comes with a lot of flexability in times and pricing.
"I'm going to be able to extend your hours. Instead of saying, 'Hey, parking is over in two hours, you have to go back and feed the meter. I'm going to say, 'If you want four, I'll give you four. You're going to pay for it, but I'm going to give it to you.' So there's so many opportunities that exist there that can only be done by moving forward with the technology that exists," he says.
The recommended course of action comes with a price tag of $144,745, the bulk of the expense connected to the purchase of Mobile Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) Technology that would need to be acquired and put into operation to improve enforcement efficiency.
Should council move forward with the recommendation, the program would begin as soon as Oct. 15, 2024.
City council meets Monday at 10 a.m. at Windsor City Hall.