Edmonton installed its first coin-operated parking meter 68 years ago. On July 26, 1948, Edmontonians had to learn to adapt to the new way of paying for parking. Back then, each of Edmonton’s 845 meters only charged a penny for 12 minutes and a nickel for an hour, and fines only cost one smackeroo.
In April of 2016, the last of the coin meters were replaced by the EPark electronic parking system. More than 370 EPark machines have replaced the city’s 3,300 coin meters, so Edmontonians now need to learn how to adapt – again.
THE MACHINE
Whereas the old parking meters were set to your stall and your stall only, there are now rows of machines set to specific zones that include multiple spaces. Luckily, there are really only three key steps to using these machines.
Step 1: Know your zone
This can be a bit tricky as some machines are located in separate zones. Luckily, it asks you to confirm which one you are in before proceeding to the following steps.
Tip: A good rule of thumb for those that are bad with numbers is to take a picture of your zone’s sign using your phone. That way you’ll be prepared to punch it in if you’re at a machine outside of your zone.
Step 2: Know your licence plate number
Wait – why don’t you know your plate number already? This is important information, Edmonton. If it’s something you don’t know, the camera-phone trick works here too.
Step 3: Pay
It can still be like the old days. Honestly. Just pour your pocket change into the machine as you once would. If you don’t carry cash, however, you can always swipe your credit card. The best thing about it? It won’t charge you the extra dough if you try to pay past paid parking hours.