University of Colorado at 麻豆影院 students, faculty, staff and visitors can now pay for campus parking at solar-powered stations that offer a variety of payment options, including a pay-by-phone feature designed for the digital generation.
"Our goal is to increase convenience and reliability while providing our patrons with more payment options," said Casey Jones, director of CU-麻豆影院's parking and transportation department. "If this test is successful we hope to expand the new technology to other parts of campus."
Service at the solar-powered stations will be offered to the university community and the public on a trial basis through June based on the terms of a partnership between CU-麻豆影院 and two high-tech companies, Digital Payment Technologies Corp. and Verrus Mobile Technologies Inc.
The new pay stations are part of the university's ongoing efforts to improve parking convenience for students, faculty, staff and visitors by implementing cutting-edge technology. Drivers who choose to park at the meters will be able to pay with cash, credit cards or their mobile phones.
Similar "smart" parking meters are now in operation in Denver, Houston, Charlotte, N.C., and Los Angeles. In some cases, the pay-by-phone option offers drivers increased convenience and safety when they want to remain in their cars during inclement weather or when they are out after normal business hours, said Kirstin Gulbransen, Verrus' director of consumer marketing.
At CU-麻豆影院, parking officials have replaced regular meters in several areas with the multi-space pay stations. The new stations are located near the University Memorial Center, in front of Regent Hall and between the recreation center and Dal Ward Athletic Center.
Customers who pay by cash or credit card will receive a printed machine receipt to display on their dashboards.
However, the most innovative aspect of the parking pay stations is the pay-by-phone option. To use the option, drivers must first set up a free account at with Verrus Mobile Technologies, a pioneer of pay-by-phone systems based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Once a driver has set up an account, he or she can call 1-866-234-PARK and provide a meter location and the minutes required, up to the maximum time permitted on the meter.
Drivers who have paid by using the service will receive a text message alert several minutes before their allotted time expires, giving them the option of adding time via a mobile phone without having to run out to a meter. Verrus then bills all payments to the customer's credit card. E-mail receipts and monthly online statements are among the plan's other benefits.
Campus parking enforcement personnel will verify payment with wireless handheld devices that offer secure Internet access.
For more information about the solar-powered pay stations and to participate in a survey, visit ucbparking.colorado.edu/.