The City of Charleston is upgrading its parking system to improve parking turnover and provide a more user-friendly experience.
Partnering with Flowbird Group, the plan is to modernize the parking meters and surface lots to include updated touchscreens and pay-by-plate parking technology.
The new parking meters will be solar-powered parking kiosks with a ~10-inch full-color touch display. The new kiosks will use a “pay-by-plate” parking system, so users will no longer have to put a receipt on their dashboard after paying for a parking spot. Instead, they will input their license plate number into the kiosk.
Patrons can pay using credit or debit cards, city-issued smart cards, Flowbird’s payment app, or pay by text. The single space on-street meters will accept all the same payments plus coins.
The city expects to have these new on-street parking meters installed this year.
Technicians have already installed the touchscreen kiosks in the surface lots off of Alexander Street and George Street, and:
- The Beaufain-Archdale Market (BAM) Lot
- East Bay Lot (off South Adgers Wharf)
- Exchange Lot (off Gillon Street)
- Cumberland Concord Street Lot