Beverly Hills and West Hollywood in Partnership to Launch New Innovative FlexPay Parking Meters

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--The Cities of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, two of the most innovative cities in the country, have joined in partnership to kick-off the new FlexPay Parking Meters at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at the Beverly Gardens Park located on the north corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Doheny Drive. The FlexPay Parking Meters are part of a pilot project between the two cities to test the new technology.

The Cities of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood are well known for successfully launching new parking-related technology to the public in order to improve the quality of life in residential and commercial zones. The FlexPay Parking Meters incorporate cutting-edge technology that provides a convenient solution for drivers: the ease of paying with a credit card or traditional coin payment. The solar-powered meters will use existing parking meter poles and coin collection receptacles with the addition of a credit card reader. (In West Hollywood, the meters will be located on the west side of the 1000 block of La Brea Avenue in front of the West Hollywood Gateway Center. The meters will be located on the east side of the 300 block of North Canon Drive in Beverly Hills.)

The new meters will blend in with traditional meters but will be clearly identifiable as FlexPay Parking Meters. The FlexPay Parking Meters are easy to operate and are designed for people on the go. Those who use coins will notice little difference; credit card users will be guided by simple instructions. The new FlexPay Parking Meter's credit card feature is safe and utilizes the same encryption technology that is used by banks and other financial institutions so credit card information is secure. The FlexPay Parking Meters will automatically default to 25 cents worth of time per parking space but users can easily extend the payment period to the one-hour maximum before the meter processes the credit card.

In case parking patrons have any problems using the new FlexPay Parking Meters, each device will have a hotline telephone number visibly posted and staff will be available to answer any questions that may arise. City staff is in constant communication with the meters utilizing wireless technology making the majority of issues able to be resolved immediately.

Examples of West Hollywood's innovative parking solutions include the Parking Meter Cash Key Program and Pay-by-Space systems. The Cash Key is a debit (prepay) parking system designed for use in parking meters. The Pay-by-Space system allows users to purchase parking time or add to existing parking time at any machine with credit cards or coins, or by using their cell phones.

For more information regarding the FlexPay Parking Meter pilot project, please contact the City of West Hollywood at (323) 848-6375 or the City of Beverly Hills at (310) 285-2467. For the hearing impaired, please contact (323) 848-6496.