New Saskatoon parking system being installed to replace meters

Workers will be begin installing the City of Saskatoon's new parking system today.

The system will replace individual parking meters across the city.

Called FlexParking, the system consists of large, central pay stations. Drivers can pay with coins, credit cards, newly designed parking cards, andeventually, cell phones.

We had been hearing from residents that the old meters were dated and inflexible," said director of transportation Angela Gardiner in a news release. "Especially as cash is used less and less for transactions and fewer people are carrying change.

The system will be ticketless. Drivers are tracked after entering their license plates into the machine.

Parking commissioners will be able to track how long a driver has been parked through recognition software.

Drivers are being asked to use the old pay meters until the new system is up and running in the early part of the new year.

A test station has been set up in the City Hall foyer.