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Paystations for on-street parking and city-operated surface lots in Winnipeg will soon become a thing of the past.
The city announced on Wednesday that paystations will start being removed on July 2, with a goal to have all of them gone by August 31.
Once removed, Winnipeggers will have to pay for parking using the PayByPhone app, online or by phone.
The city says that Canada's mobile service providers are phasing out networks across the country, making the current paystations inoperable. They also say that the stations have reached the end of their useful life, use outdated technology and attract theft and vandalism.
"This is about meeting people where they are," said Mayor Scott Gillingham. "Most drivers are already using their phones to pay for parking. We’re building on that shift and making smart financial decisions that reflect how people interact with City services today. The millions we’ll save can be redirected to other City priorities."
By getting rid of the paystations, the city says it will avoid a replacement cost of $3.6 million and save approximately $1 million in annual operating costs.
According to the city, over 80 percent of all paid parking transactions are made through PayByPhone, and 90 percent of all transactions are made with a credit card.
Anyone who wants to use cash can purchase a Prepaid Parking Booklet from the Parking Store at 495 Portage Avenue. These booklets contain ten one-hour parking passes that can be displayed on your dashboard (up to the maximum parking time in your location).
The change does not impact paystations in private lots. Paystations will also remain in the Millennium Library parkade.
Once all of the paystations have been removed, additional PayByPhone signage will be installed.