City: Oahu’s digital parking meters will be free for at least 6 months

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - About 2,200 digital parking meters on Oahu will be free of charge for at least the next six months.

The city says that’s how long it’ll take to replace its wireless credit card readers to match a technology upgrade by Verizon.

The city said half of their parking meters on O’ahu are digital ones, ones that have a slot where are card can go in. Most are located from downtown to Waikiki.

Lindsey Read says she spends more than $60 a week on parking as a server at LuLu’s Waikiki right across from the beach.

“Parking adds up especially in Waikiki. It’s either a race to find a good spot its one that you have to pay for,” said Read

Lindsey Read says she spends more than $60 a week on parking as a server at LuLu’s right across from Waikiki Beach.

“I’m going to be looking for them absolutely. I know a lot of people I work with also being doing that,” said Read.

City officials say it could be late summer or fall before they can replace their outdated digital meters in downtown and Waikiki with ones that meet Verizon’s 4G requirements.

“We’re caught of guard,” said Roger Morton, the director of Department of Transportation Services. “For several years our career has told us this would eventually happen. In fact, they have provided some dates but they have always extended those dates.”

The city expects to lose at least a million dollars in revenue and installing the new system will cost several million dollars. Meantime, Some drivers worry the pause in enforcement will lead to problems.

“Like that’s is going to be their spot and they are going to leave when they have to and then they are going to camp there for as long as they can,” said one Oahu resident.

Payment is still required at more than 2,000 old fashion meters that just take coins along with parking lots with kiosks and all metered parking hours still apply.

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