Traditional parking meters could be nearing their end in Windsor, Ont. as councillor eyes digital replacement

The city councillor for downtown Windsor, where most parking meters in the city are located, is calling for an end to traditional parking meters in favour of modernized meters which could cover a wider section of road and allow for cashless forms of payment.

At the conclusion of Windsor City Council's Jan. 15 meeting, Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino requested administration to report back on the pros and cons of removing and replacing traditional parking meters in the city.

Currently, drivers in Windsor pay for street parking using a single-spot meter.

Payment is accepted by inserting coins or by downloading a mobile app which requires drivers to enter their credit card information and type in the parking spot number listed on the meter.

However, in other cities such as nearby London, Ont. drivers can pay to park on the street using "master parking meters."

These newer models, sometimes referred to as "smart parking meters," can cover a wider section of road, eliminating the need for each spot to have its own individual meter.

On top of using coins or a mobile app, master meters can accept payment by inserting a credit card.

"I'd like to see [traditional] parking meters eliminated throughout the city. It's an archaic design and something that really doesn't make our streets look good," said Agostino. "But it also inhibits our ability to collect more revenues. It makes it more difficult these days for people to pay for their parking, because most people don't carry around cash."

Agostino points to reduced maintenance and faster revenue collection as two major factors behind the need to eliminate traditional parking meters in Windsor.

A parking meter is seen in London, Ont. on Jan. 16, 2024. (Jim Knight/CTV News Windsor)

He said many people experience issues where they insert coins into broken meters, resulting in no time being added. Only quarters, loonies and toonies are accepted, meaning nickels and dimes will be wasted if they are inserted into the meter.

Additionally, 10 single-spot parking meters on a single block of road could be replaced by one master meter, reducing the need to maintain and collect coins from 10 separate devices.

"This is something I see everywhere else I go," said Agostino. "Every time I see one, I always think it's something we should have too."

Most traditional parking meters in the city, however, are located in and around Windsor's downtown core.

Chris MacLeod, chair of the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association, said he supports a switch from traditional parking meters to their master counterparts — but only if they are spread more evenly through the city.

"The downtown does bear the burden of a lot of the parking revenue," said MacLeod.

Adding to that existing burden, Windsor's proposed 2024 budget recommends an extension of street parking enforcement hours from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

"It unfairly burdens those downtown businesses and it gives people another reason to consider going elsewhere,  whether it's the mall, a restaurant or somewhere where they don't have to pay for parking," said MacLeod.

"So we are 100 per cent on board with anything that levels the playing field for our downtown businesses. If there's a way for other areas of the city to share the burden of parking expense, that's definitely something council should explore."

Currently, the fee for parking at metered locations in Windsor is $2 per hour and is enforced Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parking after hours or on Sundays and holidays is free.