If business leaders have their way, shoppers in Cherry Creek North may one day be able to avoid trekking to parking kiosks.
To provide an alternative for visitors who complain that the current paid-parking system is inconvenient, the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District has been testing “in-car parking meters.”
The iPod-sized machines attach to a vehicle’s rearview mirror, measure the amount of time it is parked and automatically deduct parking fees from a prepaid account.
The machines are widely used in parts of Europe and are gaining traction in the United States. Aspen; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and Grand Rapids, Mich., are cities that have adopted them.
Currently, people who park in Cherry Creek North must leave their cars, locate a kiosk, pay the required fee, then return to their vehicles to put the receipt on their dashboards.
Thirty people were given in-car meters to test in May, June and July.
“I love the thing. I want it back. Then I want one for Larimer Square and the rest of the city,” said Denver entrepreneur Josh Hanfling, who was one of the testers.
While response from the testers was overwhelmingly positive, city officials aren’t quite ready to sign off on the system.
The test machines can’t be read by parking-enforcement agents from outside the vehicle, said Patty Weiss, a spokeswoman for the Denver Public Works Department.
Department officials have asked the business district to research and test alternative models that are easier to read.
Staff writer Kristi Arellano can be reached at 303-820-1902 or karellano@denverpost.com.
