Newport Smart Meters Were Bright Move, Some Say

Meter readers are tired of explaining them and so are shopkeepers, but partway through the test period for Newport Beach’s smart meters, beachgoers slowly are growing accustomed to them and many businesspeople are delighted, despite some meter quirks.

The point of the meters, which were installed for a three-month trial period in June, was to give everybody a fair share of parking time. Once fed, the meters refuse more coins until the parked car is moved, theoretically keeping people from hogging one space. It also erases leftover meter time if a driver leaves before the time is used up.

“I don’t know yet about the long term. . . . Right now, they’re successful,” said Rich Edmonston, Newport Beach traffic engineer. “We’re going easy on people as they get used to the meters, but businesses are happy.”

Meter readers say they haven’t tried to write more tickets, but rather are spending their time getting caught in long discussions with folks, explaining the meters and listening to barbs about greedy city government. The meters use metal detectors embedded in asphalt to tell if a car has overstayed its welcome.

While some parkers still do chafe over the devices--one driver on Thursday was so incensed he rolled his parking ticket tight as a cigarette and stuffed it in the coin slot--many beach-goers seem to be getting used to the idea of meter as Big Brother.

One parker, a leather-skinned man who said he goes to the beach thrice weekly, stood near a group of young beachgoers, frustrated with their meter, and whispered, “I think it’s a great idea. But don’t quote me on that in front of them.”

Cyndie Lam, 21, of Irvine said as she watched her parking time tick away: “I think it’s just more fair for everybody to get a chance at a spot. It was the right thing to do.”

Like many other parkers, though, she does wish meter time limits were two hours instead of one, and says the need to move her car so frequently is an irritation sprinkled over her beach visits, like an hourly rain shower. Kelly Edgerley, 40, of Costa Mesa agreed. Can you have a nice worry-free lunch in an hour? No, she says. “I could get used to this, but I need the limit to be two hours. Right now, you have to get creative.”

Parking always is awful in Newport Beach, and people have gotten creative: While parkers seek another spot about 50% of the time, meter readers say, others have figured out how to trick the meter by leaving the spot for a few seconds and pulling back in, even over the sound of cussing and honks from drivers behind them.

Business owners--the folks the meter originally was intended to help--generally are happy with the devices.

“It has been great for businesses,” said Lien Dinh, 26, co-owner of Newport Pier Liquor. Over the six years she’s owned the store, she said she’s had ceaseless problems with fishermen and daylong beachgoers, who park in front of her store and feed the meter all day. It made it difficult for her everyday customers to drop in. No more, she says.

John Linzmeyer, owner of Upbeat Rentals, a store that rents bikes and boogie boards and such, said, “I can at least park my station wagon in front and unload things.”

But all is not perfect now. Duberney Ospina, a manager at PJ’s Surfrider in Newport Beach, said: “The concept is great, but I can see people figure out how to [defeat] the meters.” Meter readers and businesspeople also said the meters--some of the first of their kind in the country--malfunction now and again. This week, two meters appeared broken, though it was unclear if it was because they were assaulted or because the device malfunctioned.

And therein is one last niggle: Many businesspeople said they have grown cataclysmically tired of explaining the meters to customers and are beginning to resent the city for it. When asked about how often customers complain, Dinh, a petite, sweet-voiced woman, said: “Arrgh.”

Newport Beach officials are sending mailers to businesses, hoping business owners will fill out the survey and help the city discover how the device should be tweaked.

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Still Plugging Along

High-tech meters that limit how long a car can stay ina space and prevent others from using leftover time were installed in areas of Newport Beach in June. How they work:

1. Wire loop detects presence of car when it pulls into space

2. Wire running under street and sidewalk to meter records time car pulls in

3. Meter resets when car pulls out, won’t allow purchase of time beyond limit

Source: InnovaPark