City upgrades parking structure pay equipment

By Lisa Brody

Following a review of the five Birmingham parking structures, the city will be installing new equipment to allow for easy-in, easy-out payment for parkers, beginning in December.

Equipment and software by TIBA Solutions will provide cloud-based kiosks with user-friendly, contactless entry and convenient payment options, with upgraded equipment installed in all five structures beginning in December and concluding in February.

Birmingham's five public parking structures are Pierce, Peabody, Park, N. Old Woodward and Chester. Transient parkers – those without a monthly parking pass, who come to downtown Birmingham for a couple of hours – may enter and exit using a credit card, or they may pull a ticket at entry and scan the ticket upon exiting. As always, parkers will enjoy two hours free in all structures.

The new system will offer multiple forms of payment, such as debit/credit card, with drivers able to insert their card or tap to pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay. In the near future, the equipment will also be integrated with the ParkMobile app. Monthly parking pass holders will have the option to access the structures by scanning a new parking pass, or use the TIBA Mobile Access App.

“The new equipment by TIBA Solutions will provide significant upgrades in features while improving the overall parking experience for our patrons,” said Birmingham Parking Manager Aaron Ford. “Parkers will enjoy high-speed ticket issuance for fast vehicle entry, a high resolution 10-inch color touch screen, a user-friendly and voice activated interface, and barcoded tickets for quick scanning. The goal is to simplify and expedite patrons’ interactions.”