SIOUX CITY, Iowa (Iowa Media Wire) — New payment systems are being installed at the downtown parking ramps.
According to the City of Sioux City, the new payment systems will make parking easier than ever now that VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express cards will be accepted. The catch, however, is that cash is no longer going to be an accepted payment method at the parking ramps.
These payment systems are being installed at all four downtown parking ramps, Discovery, Heritage, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rivers Landing.
These payment systems will also accept payments from phone apps such as Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Monthly parkers will have to reach out to the parking ramp management company, ABM, at 712-29-9500 for a new personal barcode. A printed barcode will be distributed to the parker and a digital version of the barcode will also be available on phones.
The City said that a cashless option was chosen for the new system since most vendors no longer offer crash/coin payment. The listed several other reasons you can read below.
- Higher up-front costs and the lifelong cost of that equipment (ie. moving parts, jams, labor costs to empty and fill machines, etc.)
- The industry trend had been to go away from taking cash.
- Safety – staff is carrying cash into the garages.
- Vandalism – cash machines receive more break-in attempts and damage.
- The City would have had to change the parking rate structure. None of the equipment manufacturers accept coins.
The new payment system has already been installed at Heritage and is expected to be completely installed at the other three parking ramps by the end of the day on Tuesday.
Additional details can be found on the city’s website.