Mayor Smiley and the Department of Public Works Launch Parking Meter Replacement Initiative

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Utilizing Federal Funds to Revitalize Parking Infrastructure Citywide

Mayor Brett P. Smiley and the Department of Public Works announced today the launch of a comprehensive parking meter replacement program aimed at modernizing Providence's parking infrastructure. Leveraging $1.26 million in federal ARPA funding, this initiative will replace every meter in the city with state-of-the-art meters that provide additional payment options to improve the overall parking experience for residents, workers and visitors.

"We are utilizing federal funding to implement quality of life improvements that will have a lasting, tangible impact on our neighborhoods," said Mayor Brett Smiley. "By replacing the city's broken and outdated meters with new, modern technology, we are making it easier for all those who live, work and visit Providence to park and shop at our local businesses. Together we are making Providence the world-class city we know it can be by investing in quality city services that meet the evolving needs of our community."

Installation of the 1,056 single-space meters and 102 multi-space meters began last week and is expected to conclude this May. The new meters will offer a multitude of options to pay including coins, credit or debit cards and contactless methods such as text-to-pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. The Passport Parking app will also remain available, offering features such as expiration alerts and pre-funding options. New parking signs will be installed alongside the new meters detailing the new payment options.

Prior to this initiative, the old generation of parking meters were unable to accept credit cards and it is estimated that nearly 60% of the meters in the city had stopped working entirely, resulting in a significant decrease in revenue. In fiscal year 2018, the total meter revenue amounted to $3,618,902.13 while in 2023 the total meter revenue only reached $1,550,925.48. The rollout of the new meters across the city is expected enhance revenue collection and potentially result in more frequent turnover in parking spaces, allowing more residents and visitors to park and enjoy all Providence offers.

Providence has parking meters throughout Downtown, on Federal Hill, on South Water and South Main Streets, Thayer Street and Wayland Square. The new meters will be installed in all of the existing metered spaces with a few targeted changes. All single-space meters on South Water Street will be replaced with multi-space meters and thirteen single-space meters on Dean Street will be replaced with multi-space meters. Additionally, the overall number of multi-space meters on Federal Hill will remain unchanged but the City is adjusting the locations of multi-space meters on Atwells Ave and Spruce Street.

The parking rate will remain consistent at $1.25 per hour, with 30-minute meters priced at 75 cents. Enforcement hours for parking in metered areas of the city is uniformly enforced in all areas from 8:00AM to 9:00PM, Monday through Saturday, ensuring consistency citywide, while parking on Sundays and holidays will remain free.

For further information on the new parking meters and payment options, please visit park.providenceri.gov or contact the Mayor's Center for City Services at City Hall by dialing 3-1-1.