Downtown Baton Rouge’s parking meter overhaul is nearly complete

East Baton Rouge Parish is close to fully implementing its new system for downtown Baton Rouge, though a few tweaks are pending before its official launch.

The revamped system is designed to encourage parking turnover, which should benefit downtown businesses and simultaneously increase revenue for the city-parish.

Of the 93 newly installed kiosks, nine are awaiting activation, according to city-parish spokesperson Mark Armstrong. The outdated coin-operated meters, notorious for their malfunctions, have been removed.

Drivers now have multiple payment options: Using the kiosks, accessing a dedicated app, sending a text message or scanning a QR code provided on downtown signage. Although enforcement measures are already in place, the police department will soon integrate license plate readers into their handheld ticketing devices.

Armstrong says a meeting is scheduled for next week to evaluate the system’s rollout. A formal public launch is planned once all the technology components are operational.

Mayor Sharon Weston Broome’s administration has been trying to overhaul the downtown parking system for years, after scrapping a plan originally proposed by former Mayor Kip Holden. In 2020, the city-parish finalized changes in the management of city-owned parking garages, but supply chain snags in 2021 delayed installation of the new meters.

Parking regulations are in effect from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. The cost is 25 cents per 15 minutes with a two-hour limit.

This story originally appeared in an Aug. 11 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.