EVANSTON (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The city of Evanston began replacing half of its parking meters this week to put in a new street meter system.
On Monday, the city of Evanston began taking out 800 of the 16-hundred parking meters on its streets and will begin putting in a total of 80 pay boxes.
Assistant City Manager Erika Storlie said the other 800 parking meters are on "less used" street and are likely to be replaced next year. She said some of the parking meters being removed now will be store in case the meters still in use need replacement parts.
Under the pay box process, motorists pay via the Park Evanston app or at the pay box on the street. Motorist will register their license plate information in the parking box so that no receipts will need to be put on the dashboard.
Assistant City Manager Erika Storlie said: "We have like seven blocks that are already complete in the downtown area but we hope to have them all in by the first week of March."
March 1 is also when new parking meter rates begin. Last fall, the Evanston City Council approved an increase from $1.00 an hour to $1.50 an hour.
Storlie said the Evanston City Council may take action Monday night to offer an incentive for people to download the Park Evanston app and to pre-load it with $20. She says the council's Parking and Transportation Committee approved the measure which would give $5.00 to those people to use towards parking.
