Smart Meters Come to Downtown Jacksonville

[fsujax]

you have got to be kidding me? I really likes the meters that accepted credit cards. It made it so much easier to park Downtown. This really makes want to say....wtf?

[stephendare]

OK here is the official response from Parking.

The meters, as previously stated, were a 90 day loaner from the company to gauge the public reaction.

That time elapsed and so the meters were taken to their next demo city.

Parking had very positive response to the new meters, people liked them a lot better, if only for the fact that you could use nickels and dimes with them instead of the quarters only.

They would like to implement the technology, as they were very low maintenance, far fewer complaints, and the company that made them was a pleasure to work with.

Now they need for council to ok the funding.

What we can do is email or contact the city council and demand that the technology be installed.

Oh, and the cc issue:  Mtrain.  There wasnt as much usage on the credit cards as expected.  People used change more often because you could use the additional kinds of coins.

All in all it was a positive experience for the City.

[thelakelander]

Too bad they did not take advantage of our original push with Suzanne Jenkins to fund digital meters when she was on the council.  The funding was there and could have paid for several meters years ago.

[fsujax]

thats good to hear. thanks for the update.

[mtraininjax]

demand that the technology be installed

How long have the bus shelters languished, all over some boobs on the side of a bus stop? I'm sure my council person will get right on adding the smart meters, right after his normal 8-5 nap he takes with regard to all city issues.

Demand that technology be installed? This is the same city that ONLY HAS WI-FI installed in libraries and patrol cars. No CITY department has WI-FI so why would we ever expect that ITD could/would install something so unknown to itself?

This is the same City ITD department that saw its website go down last Friday (www.coj.net) for hours during the middle of the day for "maintenance". The appearance of wrongdoing with Lauer was never good, but at least he was progressive in his thinking. The stories we could tell about ITD....UGH!

[NthDegree]

What?!   Aw, come on! Don't we all think that this city is trying to do so?

Sometime I feel like the city is "trying" like the kid that got off the short bus is trying to win a sprint against world class athletes.

Seriously - St. Augustine has them now.  How hard was this, really?  I guarantee revenue collection will rise significantly with these meters.

You are right, revenues are up and they are significant. 

[jbroadglide]

mtrain, I don't know if you work for the city or are just repeating what you hear but you need to check your facts a little better. The entire Godbold Building is wi-fi. Part of the St James is wi-fi and the Ed Ball building, which houses ITD, by the way, is also wi-fi..somebody has been feeding you soem bad info.

[mtraininjax]

JB - Show me on the City site where this is listed? Not saying you don't have your facts straight, but nothing is listed on the City site or ITD's site about Wi-Fi access.

I will tell you that none of the city's Community Centers or Senior Centers are wired for Wi-Fi, except the Balis which is connected to a library in San Marco.

[jbroadglide]

I don't know that it is listed on the city site. I just know that those locations I mentioned are wi-fi. Not the entire St James, just the ground floor...

[mtraininjax]

Would you concur that the Community centers and senior centers are not?

[jbroadglide]

No because I don't know that to be a fact. But give me a day and I can likely get an answer.

[mtraininjax]

OK. Would like to know.

[stephendare]

I don't know that it is listed on the city site. I just know that those locations I mentioned are wi-fi. Not the entire St James, just the ground floor...

having liveblogged the trail ridge hearings from there, I can attest to that.

[stjr]

Wifi? Advanced parking meters?  More opportunities for free goodies.  Let's get advertising sponsors for these too.  Also, some for the police and fire pension fund!  And, the City Council could be sponsored by the development community.  This was a great idea.  Let's keep it going.  We should have a commercial sponsor for every line in the City budget and then we could close City government and do away with taxes.  Maybe it will work out better than the stadium naming rights we now are giving up $5 million a year in bed tax to cover. 

[stephendare]

too late, stjr.  The City Council is already sponsored by the development community.