Aging Dubuque parking meters face removal as city explores future options
Dubuque, Iowa (KCRG) — The city of Dubuque is preparing to eliminate its more than 2,000 parking meters, but the replacement system is still under consideration. This move comes as the city looks to modernize its infrastructure and improve the parking experience for residents and visitors alike.
“These meters are, as our consultant said, from the dinosaur age,” said Ryan Knuckey, Dubuque’s transportation services director. “They’re still serving their purpose with a lot of maintenance around the year, but we’re seeing a lot of failure. These should’ve been replaced quite some time ago.”
The city is exploring several options to replace the current system. One possibility is to install new parking meters, but that's not the direction the city wants to take. Instead, officials are considering a more technologically advanced approach.
Knuckey mentioned that the city is looking into three main alternatives:
- Replacing the existing meters with new ones
- Implementing a system where all drivers must pay to park using a mobile app
- Installing kiosks that allow drivers to enter their license plate number and pay using an app, credit card, cash, or coins
Before finalizing any decision, the city plans to solicit proposals from vendors to evaluate the available technologies. Knuckey emphasized that the goal is not just to replace the meters, but to leverage technology to collect data and improve city operations.
“We could go out and replace all of our meters with the same exact thing we have, but that’s not what we want to do,” Knuckey said. “There’s too much technology where we could be collecting data and utilize it to the best of our knowledge to help the city.”
Cheryl Rusk, owner of Charlotte’s Coffee House in downtown Dubuque, shared her thoughts on the potential shift to app-based parking. She acknowledged that there might be a short-term challenge for older customers who are less familiar with using mobile apps to pay for parking.
“You just have to think positive,” Rusk said. “We were told, ‘Oh, people won’t come to your shop because the parking is bad and there’s no walk traffic,’ but people still come, so I’m hoping that won’t hold people back.”
Rusk also recognized that there may be some frustration with learning how to use the new system, but she remains confident that the community will adapt over time.
“You’ll figure it out once you do it once,” Rusk said.
Knuckey stressed that the city is committed to ensuring that the transition to a new system does not create new barriers for residents. He highlighted that there are various options available, including a kiosk system that allows drivers to pay using an app, credit card, cash, or coins.
“There are different options with apps where we could do a kiosk system and still have an app for every parking spot. As you pull into a spot, you could either pay with an app, pay at the kiosk with credit card, cash, and you could still be able to take care of all of the public,” Knuckey said.
More details about the replacement system are expected in April, with a potential rollout of the new system later this year. The city aims to ensure a smooth transition while embracing technological advancements that can benefit both residents and visitors.
