Fort Worth city leaders will soon decide if parking meters that accept credit cards will be installed in the city.
Currently, the 2,500 metered parking spaces throughout the city only accept coins. The pay and display machines would require individuals to "pay" for parking and then "display" their receipt in a visible location on their dashboard.
The recommendation is for the City Council to authorize a two-year contract with Parkeon, Inc. for $882,330. The contract would supply 80 pay and display machines with the option to purchase 30 additional units. It also covers annual fees including shipping, on-site training, installation, maintenance and comes with a five-year warranty.
The original decision to improve Fort Worth's parking infrastructure was made in a September 2010 city ordinance. Six months after the decision, requests for proposals were sent out through the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Eleven companies were invited to interview with city officials, and Parkeon was selected for the project.
Since the city does not have any previous purchasing history for pay and display stations, an evaluation committee was used in conjunction with city staff to review pricing and determined Parkeon to be fair and reasonable.
The city of Dallas currently utilizes similar parking meters in parts of downtown.
