Saskatoon parking meter replacement starts this morning

Individual parking meters will soon be a thing of the past in Saskatoon.

Starting at 9 am, FlexParking pay stations will be activated at 2nd Avenue between 19th Street and 23rd Street. The new system will also be turned on at 21st Street between 1st Avenue and Spadina Crescent.

Coin meters will be covered with a white and yellow hood, directing drivers to pay at the new locations.

"As a result of this new system, we're going to have the ability to pay with different methods, credit card, the typical cash, city smart card, and coming soon, smartphone app," said Andrew Hildebrandt, Director of Community Standards for the City of Saskatoon. "So, that adds a lot of flexibility to our payment options."

Drivers type their license plate numbers into the station when they pay. That allows drivers to carry over their time if they move their vehicle.

"Let's say you're shopping downtown, and you want to move up to Broadway for the last hour of your parking, you can just move up there and the time transfers," he said. "So, it's very flexible."

Commissionaires will monitor the system by scanning license plate numbers, and checking them against the system.

The city will have a 'street team' on hand wearing bright yellow toques to answer questions and help drivers.

It should take a month before the system is fully changed over.