City should look into a new parking meter system

We’ve said this before, and we’ll keep repeating it:
The city’s parking meter system on Jos. Campau and in its municipal parking lots is a disaster, and needs to go.
Recently, three city councilmembers held a town hall meeting about the meter system, and the majority of the business owners attending agreed that the meters have scared away customers because the meters are either too complicated or else don’t work properly.
Fortunately, the city’s contract with the meter company expires in July.
If it were up to us, we’d tell the company to prepare to take back their meters and get out of town.
The City of Royal Oak had the same meters, but had the good sense to admit they were a failure and removed them. Royal Oak then replaced them with meters that people easily understand and don’t erroneously cause tickets to be issued.
But should Hamtramck not have any parking meters in its central business district, as some are suggesting?
Yes, we do need meters not only for revenue but to make sure people don’t hog parking spaces all day.
The current parking meters generate about $200,000 a year in revenue for the city, albeit that a good chunk of that comes from parking tickets.
There is a good parking meter system available, and you don’t have to look any further than the City of Ferndale to see a system that actually works and is hassle-free for users.
And, better yet, there are no unforgiving cameras connected to the meters that penalize you if you run a tiny bit over your allotted meter time.
We urge city officials to check it out for themselves.
Keep the parking meters, but not this current system.
Posted Feb. 28, 2025