Smarter parking coming to town

The Chico City Council moved forward Tuesday (Oct. 21) with a plan to install hundreds of “smart meters,” and four multispace kiosk units (stands that accept credit cards instead of coins). Those installations, along with public outreach and education, will cost an estimated $320,000.

City officials say replacing mechanical meters with more efficient electronic meters will help achieve an 85 percent parking occupancy, which brings in revenue while allowing a few empty spaces in the Central Business District. Funding for the changes comes from the Fund-85 Parking account.

The project will replace 450 on-street and 323 parking lot meters (lots 1 and 5), saving the city $20,000 to $25,000 a year in operating costs.