SAN FRANCISCO—The city of San Francisco will be upgrading some of the cities largest parking facilities to meet their technology standards.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency approved a $19.8 million contract with Skidata on Tuesday, April 20. The deal was made to upgrade 22 parking garages that together house more that 15,000 parking spaces throughout the city.
According to the SFMTA, the city’s parking facilities generated $47 million in net revenue in 2015.
The improvements will include mechanisms that will increase the ease of payment at pay stations in garages. New ticketless validation systems will be installed and ticket machines will be tied directly into the city’s fiber-optic network for faster processing.
The ticket machines will also be upgraded with state of the art security and new surveillance will be installed at the ticketing machines as well as at entry and exit points of garages. These improvements are included in the SFMTA’s contract for the Parking Access and Revenue Control System.
Additional complimentary programs will enhance the parking features, making it easier for drivers to find empty spots within garages. One such program is the installation of new digital “wayfinding” signs, which display where available spots can be found.
Local scooter rental company Scoot also acquired 38 new spaces in city parking garages. Scooter rental has had a major impact on the city as many drivers have gone away from owning cars.
SFMTA Board of Directors Vice Chairman Cheryl Brinkman told the SF Examiner, “I hadn’t really thought before a year ago what a big impact those Scoots were having on people’s lives, helping them to live in the city without owning cars.”
The contract, if finalized and approved by the Board of Supervisors, will last from May 1, 2016, to June 30, 2029.
