Several months ago, New Rochelle boosted the price of parking by the meters on downtown streets – now a quarter buys 15 minutes – but starting this week, at least the city is making them more convenient.
New meters coming this week will take credit cards, so you won’t need so much metal in your pocket to leave your car by the curb for an hour or so.
The city is testing 75 of the meters on and around Main, Lawton and Division streets. They will be installed beginning Thursday.
(HINT: There are some places where a quarter buys a half hour. See below.)
There are already some places downtown where you don’t need coins to pay for parking. At some off-street places – the lot along the south side of the New Rochelle Public Library, the Prospect Street lot and the garages at New Roc City and the train station, for example – parking is paid at machines that take coins, bills or credit cards.
The new meters being tested, from three different companies, will be the first individual meters on the streets that offer the credit card option.
Says a press release from the city:
“Each of the three models will communicate wirelessly and all credit card information will be encrypted, with no information stored on the machine. The City will monitor each meter’s status to ensure they are functioning properly. There will be no paper receipts and no need to remember space numbers. Patrons will simply park, slide their card into the meter, and be on their way.”
Now, here are those downtown places where you get more time for your money: Meters in lots on Church and Division Street and across Lawton Street from the Library give a half hour for a quarter. The Prospect Street lot charges the same rate, but you have to buy at least an hour, which is 50 cents.
(Want to do the math? If you pay a quarter for 15 minutes, that’s a penny for 36 seconds. If a quarter buys a half hour, that’s a penny for one minute and 12 seconds.)
For more information on the credit card meter program, visit the city website at www.newrochelleny.com/parking.
