BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Press start, then insert a credit card and place the receipt on your dashboard. Paying for parking in Binghamton is entering the 21st century with digital kiosks.
"In cities large and small across the county, cities have already gone to utilizing parking technology," said Binghamton Mayor Rich David.
This week, the city is installing 50 kiosks downtown to replace its 800 meters.
"The city of Binghamton can and should be run like a business, and this is one way we can generate new revenue," said David.
The project will cost about $480,000, and David says he expects it to pay for itself within two years.
"We're eliminating what's called piggybacking,” said David. “That's when you utilize the parking meters and there still may be money left on the meter. The driver leaves, and another driver pulls up and doesn't contribute any money."
In September, the city installed five of these kiosks as part of a pilot program. Officials say they have been used about 22,000 times, bringing in more than $19,000. Most of those transactions have been with dollar bills and credit cards.
"People are already used to utilizing these parking kiosks in other cities,” said David. “So there's not a huge learning curve when it comes to this technology. I think people are pleased to see something new in their own community."
In a city where an empty parking spot is already hard to come by, David says the kiosks make trips downtown that much easier.
The mayor added that the city can track parking data in real time. In the future, they may use that information to adjust prices based on use.