City installs its first cutting-edge technology parking meter.

By Robert C. Solera, Community Development Director

With a commitment to improve services, the city of Sunny Isles Beach has purchased three (3) cutting-edge-technology parking meters. These meters are easy to use, can be added to by telephone and provide on-screen “how-to-use” instructions. These meters also require less maintenance.

The city has installed the first of these meters at its new Municipal Parking Lot located at 175th Terrace and Atlantic Blvd. behind the Walgreens store. (See Figure 1.)

In July 2009 the city is scheduled to install two more of these new meters, one at the Ellen Wynn Beach Access, 192nd Street & Collins Avenue, and the other one at Pier Park, 16501 Collins Avenue. The new meters will replace the existing meters in these lots.

How to use

To use a new meter, you need the following information:

• Your parking space number (painted on the parking surface of your parking space).
• The amount of time you want to use that space. Minimum is 1 hour for $2.
• Whether this is a “new” transaction or a “replenishing-of-time” transaction.

The meter accepts Visa and MasterCard Credit Cards, and $1, $2, $5 and $10 bills. Coins are not accepted.

The minimum is 1 hour for $2, and the maximum is 12 hours. After the first hour the meter allows 1/2 hour increments for a $1 bill.

The meter does not provide change, but allots 1/2 hour increments thereby providing 2 ½ hours of parking time for a $5 bill.

New metering system features

The new metering system will allow a user to add time at any of the new meters for a parking space in any lot that has one of the new meters. In other words, to replenish, the person won’t have to physically be at the location of the parking space.

So, for example, once the city installs the new meters at the Ellen Wynn Beach Access and Pier Park locations, a user will be able to extend parking time at the Municipal Parking Lot on 175th Terrace from a new meter at any of the other two parking locations.

Pay by telephone

In addition, the new metering system allows payment by phone with a credit card. With this feature, additional time can be added by telephone from anywhere. You just need to know the lot and parking space location of your car and a use a Visa or MasterCard.

Note: For now, the city will continue using old-style meters in the parking lots under the William Lehman Bridge and William Lehman Ramp. These old meters are not part of the new municipal parking meter system and therefore don’t offer any of its new features.

Resident parking decals in new Municipal Parking Lot

As a service to residents, cars displaying a city resident-only parking decal will be allowed to park in the new Municipal Parking Lot at 175th Terrace and Atlantic Blvd. from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. (overnight) exclusively without having to feed the meter.

However, every day from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., the meter must be fed. Resident parking decals are not allowed in lieu of feeding the meter in any other city-metered parking lots.

Purchase resident-only parking decals

Resident-only parking permits can be purchased through the Community Development Department, located on the 3rd Floor at the Sunny Isles Beach Government Center, 18070 Collins Avenue. Direct any questions to staff at 305.792.1705.

Pay parking tickets

Payment may be made using a credit card by telephone or in-person at a Miami-Dade County Clerk’s Office

North Dade Justice Center

15555 Biscayne Blvd.

Miami, FL 33160

Pay-by-telephone: 305.275.1133

Date of demonstration set, public invited

The city’s Community Development Department is providing a demonstration for the public of the new meters at the Municipal Parking Lot, 175th Terrace and Atlantic Blvd. on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. Come to learn about the features of the city’s new metering system; a representative from Parker Systems will be on hand. Direct any questions to staff at 305.792.1705.