These are not you father's parking meters!
The digital revolution has over-taken the downtown parking grid.
If you haven't used one of the new parking meters---it's just a matter of time.
Carrie Brown was the first person to use this one on Broad street.
CARRIE BROWN, USED NEW METER "When you walked up to this what did you think? How amd I going to work? Did you find it fairly easy after you looked at it for a minute? " "no it was easy..it just seemed a little slow."
Carta, the bus company, took over the parking enforcement job from the city of Chattanooga three months ago. It's goal is to make sure there is plenty of available parking downtown, but to help tourists and locals have a better experience.
The meter monitoring people are now called ambassadors.
JIM BOWEN, CARTA, SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR "They'll be down here at least for 2 weeks showing people how to use the new machines." "but they are very to use machines."
This is a multi-space pay station...one of the two types now in use downtown. You've probably seen one of these at Coolidge park.
CARTA has invested 700-thousand dollars in the new technology.
JIM BOWEN "These are pay and display...you go up to the pay station..pay your ticket ..You get a receipt..and put it on your dash. So there's no need for a meter at each space."
The other new meters are in places where its more convenient to have one to a parking space."
IM BOWEN, CARTA "Once we get these in, that'll mean that 60% of our on-street meters are solar-powered..these take coins or credit cards..they will, at the first of the month be able to pay them by phone...that's new technology."
In the next few weeks you'll see these new meters at the busiest parking areas.
CARTA wants to remind people, there's a 2 hour limit on all of those meters.
