Those who utilize Amherst’s parking system may notice some changes taking effect in the near future.
The town is exploring different ways to update its aging parking display meters in the Boltwood parking garage, as well as similar meters behind the Town Hall and CVS.
“We are looking to replace our parking pay-and-display machines,” Town Manager John Musante said in a voicemail earlier this month. “All of those machines are at the end of their useful life.”
Musante said the town has put out bid requests to various vendors to gauge a price on any new equipment.
“What we’re trying to do is to purchase machines that are more customer-friendly,” he said.
One of the main options the town is exploring, Musante said, is having machines which would accept credit cards as a form of payment for parking.
“We are exploring things like… credit card payments to make it more convenient for the people that park in downtown,” he said.
The consensus among a handful of people interviewed at the Boltwood parking lot was mostly positive towards the proposed changes.
“I definitely think it would be a little easier if [the meters] took credit cards,” said Amherst resident Karen Everett. Everett also noted that it would be more convenient if the machines took dollar bills, as well as change.
Caitlin Almeida, a University of Massachusetts graduate student, expressed a similar sentiment.
“People are less likely to carry cash with them,” Almeida said while inserting change into one of the Boltwood parking meters. She also noted that people tend to show up to the Boltwood garage for reasons that are not always well-planned, and do not always think to bring cash or change with them.
But one man, who whooshed off to run errands before he could give his name, said he would be more concerned with the cost of parking than how to pay for it.
“You have to balance how much it costs,” he said.
“I’m not having a problem with this stuff,” the man added, referencing the current payment setup.
Musante reiterated the town’s goal of implementing the changes to make parking convenient in his message.
“We want to modernize our equipment,” he said. “That’s the basic goal.”
William Perkins can be reached at [email protected].
