About Smart Meters
Park with one easy swipe!
How the meters work
Whether you’re simply running an errand, or shopping, dining, and enjoying the Borough, parking has never been easier.
Now you can park and swipe with a card, pay with quarters or download the ‘pay-by-phone’ application (pay-by-phone app coming soon) and set up an account.
Follow these easy steps to complete your parking experience:
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Look at the smart meter’s display to find parking rates, hours, time limits, and other important information. If the screen is dark, you can press any button on the meter and it will light up to provide the information you need. |
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If paying with quarters, insert them in the coin slot until the desired time is reached on display. Quarters are accepted. |
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If paying with credit card, insert and remove your credit or debit card. The smart meter accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover. |
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With the blue [+] and [-] buttons, select the amount of time. The cost for that time will be displayed underneath. |
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Press the green [OK] button to confirm your payment, or red [CANCEL] button to stop your transaction. The meter will attempt to authorize the payment shown on the screen if neither button is pressed after 35 seconds. |
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Wait for authorization of the card. |
| *Please note that time purchased at this meter corresponds only to the adjoining parking spot. The time purchased is not transferrable. |
How to Use IPS Smart Meters
Customer convenience is the main reason Doylestown has upgraded parking operations. IPS Meters are not only convenient because they take both credit cards and quarters, but they also allow the parking public to pay where they park. Simply pull up, pay, and walk away. It’s that simple. Watch this Demonstration Video and see for yourself. San Diego-based IPS Group, Inc. is a design, engineering and manufacturing company focused on low power wireless telecommunications and parking technologies.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Smart Meters
Why is the Borough of Doylestown replacing the meters?
The Borough of Doylestown is installing approximately 400 new ‟smart” single-space parking meters in the Central Business District. Based on a recommendation by a cross-section of Borough residents and business persons formed in 2015 as the Doylestown Borough Parking Meter Study Committee, the installation will provide for a convenient, user-friendly parking experience with a variety of payment options, making it easier to find a space, and decreasing the number of citations issued through increased compliance with time limits. The new meters accept quarters, credit or debit cards, and will soon be able to be paid through a pay-by-phone application (pay-by-phone is not yet available but coming soon). They are easy to use and reliable with a big screen that makes it easy to see all of the key information, such as the remaining time and time limits. It will be much easier to determine when no fee is required after hours and on holidays.
Why do we call the meters “smart”?
The current single-space meter system remains virtually the same as when it was established in the 1970s. At that time, the ability to render payment with nickels, dimes, and quarters represented the widest variety of options available to a customer. This is no longer true today with the increased use of debit cards, credit cards and cell phone apps as a preferred, convenient method of payment and maintaining a supply of change increasingly inconvenient. The new meters will also be much easier to view and understand with all pertinent information clearly visible to the customer. No longer will there be confusion as to whether payment is due at any particular time or date.
Are the hours during which I have to pay for metered parking changing?
The days and hours when you have to pay the meters will remain 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays. Doylestown Borough’s hours of enforcement are the most limited in the region, meaning that we offer the most ‟free” parking in our metered areas. The new meters will also make it easier to offer ‟free parking” promotions – during the Christmas holidays for instance.
Will the metered parking cost the same as it does now?
The parking meter rates are increasing for the first time in over 30 years to $1 per hour (or $.25 for 15 minutes) at the three-hour limit meters and to $.50 per hour at the 10-hour limit meters. The new rates reflect average parking meter fees in our region. The cost of the six-month permits, which allow you to park at the 10-hour limit meters will remain at $50, and still represent the best value for those who work in the downtown. The new rate structure will discourage abuse of the time limits, thereby making it easier to find a parking space and reducing the number of citations issued. We will continue to offer 15-minute free parking spaces at over a dozen convenient locations throughout the downtown.
Which credit cards are accepted at the smart meters?
The meters will accept VISA, Mastercard, and Discover.
Is there a fee for using a credit card with the smart meters?
No, there is no fee to use a credit card with the smart meters. However, there is a minimum parking session of one hour required to pay by credit card.
Is there a fee to use the pay-by-phone app?
Parking paid through mobile payment will be processed by a third-party vendor. To cover the cost of the service, a convenience fee will be charged per transaction to the customer, in addition to the parking fee. Pay-by-phone is not yet available but coming soon.
Is parking enforcement changing as well?
Yes. The Borough has contracted with United Public Safety of Horsham, Pa., to upgrade its enforcement technology. The current handwritten, envelope tickets are being replaced with handheld units that will print tickets. In addition to payment in person or by mail, online and telephone payment of fines will now be offered. Clearer, more precise details of tickets issued will reduce misunderstandings and the maintenance diagnostics of the new meters will eliminate questions about malfunctioning meters.