Charleston Reporter

The City of Charleston has announced a significant upgrade to its parking system in collaboration with Flowbird Group, a provider of curbside management and urban mobility solutions. The city is implementing modernized parking meters and surface lots equipped with advanced touch-screen and pay-by-plate parking technology.

Technicians have already installed touch screen kiosks in various surface lots across the city, including popular locations such as Alexander Street, George Street, and the BAM Lot. The city plans to have all new on-street parking meters fully installed by 2024.

In addition to the hardware upgrades, the City of Charleston will be introducing two new digital payment options: the Flowbird mobile payment app and Pay-by-Text, reflecting the city's commitment to enhancing customer service with modern solutions under Mayor William Cogswell, Jr.

The updated parking system will feature solar-powered parking kiosks with a 9.7” full-color touch display, available in all City-owned surface lots. These kiosks will offer a user-friendly transaction process, allowing patrons to pay using various methods such as credit/debit cards, city-issued smartcards, Flowbird’s payment app, or pay by text. The traditional single-space on-street meters will also accept these payment options along with coins.

A notable feature of the new parking kiosks is the implementation of a ‘pay-by-plate’ parking system, eliminating the need for users to display a receipt on their dashboard. Instead, users can simply input their license plate number into the kiosk, streamlining the parking process.

Director of Traffic and Transportation Robert Somerville expressed the city's enthusiasm for the upgrade, stating, "The City of Charleston is excited about the opportunity to upgrade our parking meter technology to improve the parking experience for our citizens and those who visit our wonderful city."

Through these enhancements, the City aims to enhance parking turnover, manage visitor influx during peak periods, and provide a more user-friendly experience. The introduction of digital payment options is expected to elevate customer service standards for the parking public.

For those interested in utilizing the new system, individuals can Text-To-Park by sending the code ParkCHS to 727563.