Colorado Springs launches new parking kiosks, tap-to-pay and text-to-pay options
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The City of Colorado Springs has launched a new parking initiative in Downtown and Old Colorado City aimed at making parking easier.
Officials introduced the new branding campaign “Now You Know” at a media briefing on July 28.
The initiative included upgrades to parking meters that offer more payment options, including tap-to-pay, text-to-pay, ParkMobile, credit cards and coins.
“I don’t have my card or change on me all the time, and being able to use tap-to-pay from my phone would probably be more accessible,” said Leah O' Shea, a Colorado Springs resident who parks downtown.
The upgrades, which are already in place, also include parking kiosks along the primary business corridors of Tejon Street in Downtown Colorado Springs and Colorado Avenue in Old Colorado City, officials confirm.
These kiosks operate around five to ten parking spaces on a block compared to the previous single-space design.
The city said they have also been working to replace old parking meters that were at the end of their life and had connection issues that employees were constantly fixing.
"The way that you put a credit card in was confusing. They didn’t have a tap-to-pay option. The screen was smaller. Just some things that were not working very well,” said Alyssa Alt, Parking Enterprise Manager.
According to the city, they received about 150 comments on meter issues in the past year.
Since more new meters were fully installed, they have only had seven complaints total in June and July.
“The biggest issue that I’ve had is sometimes it doesn’t take my card right away, or it says 'removed card quickly',” O' Shea said.
The city is also simplifying their different payment zones with color-coordinated stickers on the meters.
Yellow zones are the most expensive at $1.50 per hour in the heart of Downtown Colorado Springs and Old Colorado City.
The further you go from these areas is where you will see green stickers for $1.25 per hour and new blue stickers for $1.00 per hour.
The prices of these three zones are progressive, which means the rate goes up the longer you are parked.
According to the city, parking garages and lots cost just $1 per hour, with a maximum daily rate of $12 and $6 for vehicles entering after 4 p.m. Parking is also free on Sundays in all City-owned parking garages and lots.
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