Birmingham says new parking structure equipment more convenient

BIRMINGHAM — Soon, residents and visitors will experience the new parking structure equipment that is designed to increase convenience and efficiency.

The city will be installing equipment and software by TIBA Solutions to its parking structures. Kiosks with cloud-based technology, contactless entry and payment options will be available for people parking downtown.

This winter, five structures in Birmingham will receive this new equipment.

According to Birmingham Parking Manager Aaron Ford, the general timeline for the installation of the new equipment is near the end of December.

The city had budgeted a total of $1,019,480 for this project. Ford said they have been under budget, with the hardware costing $654,856. There are also annual software fees that account for $169,000, spread out over the course of five years.

When the current system was installed several years ago, the idea was that all guests parking in the structures would use a credit card to get in and out. However, Ford said this caused confusion because people were not prepared to use their credit cards to get into the garage, causing lines at the entrance.

Mayor Therese Longe acknowledged how frustrating the old machines could be, and she said she is looking forward to the upcoming installations.

The new system is similar to what most people are used to when entering a parking structure. When a driver pulls up, they will pull a ticket, which will have a QR code on it that they will scan to leave.

“I think it will be a much more pleasant, intuitive, user-friendly experience for everybody and therefore help the businesses and the restaurants succeed,” Longe said.

The two-hour free parking is still going to be offered with this new system. If someone is staying two hours or less, they will scan the QR code on the ticket, the gate arm will rise, and they can leave without further action. If a fee is owed, one can pay at the kiosk by inserting their credit card or tapping to pay. Apple Pay and Google Pay will now be accepted.

“It should be a much smoother and quicker interaction for our patrons,” Ford said.

Currently, monthly parkers use a badge to get in and out of the structure. They will still be able to use the badge, but they will now have the option of pressing a button on their phone to control the gate arm.

TIBA offers an app for monthly parkers to use by connecting to Bluetooth and pressing the button on the app when they are ready to enter or exit. The TIBA Mobile Access App offers people the ability to park without having to unroll their window and interact with a machine.

If this does not work, there is also a QR code that they can scan to lift the gate arm. If someone happens to forget their phone, they will be able to input their cellphone number to activate the gate.

“Now we are giving people all the advantages that they are used to in their everyday lives and offering that for their parking in the city of Birmingham,” Ford said.

More information on the equipment and updates can be found at bhamgov.org/parking.