A Return To Coins Only At SEPTA Suburban Parking Lots
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- SEPTA is returning to coin-operated parking machines at a handful of suburban Regional Rail parking lots, starting next week.
Riders have been using cards with magnetic stripes to pay for their parking at the transit agency's Jenkintown, Ambler, Fort Washington, Warminster, and 69 Street parking lots, but starting next Tuesday they'll have to use their loose change.
SEPTA's Richard Maloney says they are discontinuing the parking cards because of ongoing problems.
"With everyone now having a cell phone or other electronic device, we've had a lot of cases where the parking cards have been demagnetized by the electronics," he said.
Maloney says it doesn't pay to upgrade the technology in the machines because the transit agency is hoping to include a parking lot payment feature in an electronic fare system that's planned for the future. At most stations, Maloney says, parking is $1.00 and the machines accept quarters.
Reported by Brad Segall, KYW Newsradio 1060.
