LOS ANGELES—The City of Los Angeles is getting new electronic parking meters that are expected to bring the city an additional $18 million in revenue.

“Known as 'Park & Pay,' the multi-space pay station offers greater convenience and a broad range of parking payment options that include coin, credit card and cell phone, as well as paper currency payment and monthly parking pass sales in certain off-street lots,” Bruce Gillis said, spokesman for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT).

Los Angeles´ new parking meters. Photo courtesy to ktla news.

On May 2007, the Los Angeles City Council approved the plan on replacing 6,000 of the city´s 40,000 parking meters with the new high-tech electronic meters, so called Park & Pay. The first Park & Pay stations were placed at 11229 Magnolia Blvd., in North Hollywood and have been in operation since December 13, 2007.

“We want to make parking more efficient and user-friendly for the residents of Los Angeles,” said LADOT General Manager Rita L. Robinson. “The new payment system offers a variety of options designed to provide the greatest level of convenience technology offers.”

Another feature of the new parking meters is the possibility of receiving an automatic text message when the meter needs more money. This way you are able to buy additional time for your parking space remotely via your cell phone.

The rates for the parking meter are now between $1 and $4 per hour and the operation time is extended to 8:00 p.m. However, in entertainment and shopping districts, the meters will operate up to midnight on Friday and Saturday nights and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For the time being, the city gets $20 million in revenue from its 40,000 meters. But with the new 6,000 meters, the city is estimated to get additional $18 million annually.

“By better matching the meter rates and hours to the true parking demand, more parking spaces will become available for those looking for convenient metered parking. This new availability will reduce the number of cars circling around and around the block looking for cheap parking, while clogging City streets, wasting gas, and polluting our environment,” LADOT stated.

These 6,000 new electronic parking meters that cost the city $5.5 million will be evaluated for the next few months and, if the residents of Los Angeles are happy with them, the city then will replace the rest of the 34,000 old parking meters with the new ones.