Huntington to introduce muni-meter parking system

The Town of Huntington will be getting a new muni-meter parking system later this year to replace some of its older coin-operated meters.

The town board voted for the change at its meeting on July 9.

The contract calls for a multispace parking pay station system that accepts credit cards and cash. The estimated cost is $280,000 for 28 muni-meter units. Each unit will account for eight to 10 parking spaces. The upgrade is scheduled to be completed this fall.

“The new meters offer the town a lot of flexibility to make changes when needed and convenience for motorists,” town spokesman A.J. Carter said.

Carter added that the new units offer the possibility of refilling time remotely via a phone app. One of the new units will replace the old metal box key system at the Long Island Rail Road Huntington train station.

The remaining units will be placed along Main Street and New York Avenue in downtown Huntington and serve as a pilot program for the rest of the town’s meters.

For now, rates will remain at 25 cents an hour for a maximum of two hours, although that could change, Carter said. Any such changes would require a public hearing.

Also to be addressed before the muni-meter units are installed is whether the meters will dispense a small paper which is placed on a dashboard after payment or whether the number of one’s spot is entered into the unit at the time of payment, eliminating the need for a paper slip.

Downtown Huntington has struggled with parking problems, exacerbated when The Paramount opened on New York Avenue in 2011. The town commissioned a study earlier this year on the parking issues. The study has yet to be released.