Press Releases - Department of Transportation
Smart Parking Meters Coming to Wheaton
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, June 7, 2017
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Division of Parking will install about 400 “smart” parking meters in Wheaton in starting next week. The smart meters expand payment options for parking customers to include credit cards in addition to coins and pay by cell.
Some of the advantages of smart meters include a highly visible expiration time indicator, real-time communications capability and a web-based management system. The changeover to new meters reuses existing meter poles and the lower part of the meter head. The display portion of the meter and its internal workings will be replaced with the new technology.
The parking meters use a solar-powered battery system with a highly visible expiration time indicator. The meters have real-time communication capabilities, which allow web-based identification of broken meters and instant processing of credit card transactions that use the highest level of security. Information in the meter window displays parking rates, hours and days when payment is required, and notes parking restrictions.
There are 820 on-street smart meters in Bethesda and more than 1,100 in Silver Spring.
View a video demonstration on using smart meters online.
Media Contact: Esther Bowring 240-777-7155
