Residents and visitors parking in the downtown area will notice that they will need more coins as the fees for the two-hour and 10-hour parking meters have increased.
The Muscatine City Council approved a resolution at their Nov. 7, 2024, meeting to increase the rates for parking meters, and City staff have completed the transition of all parking meters in the downtown area.
The fee for two-hour meters increased to 75 cents per hour while the fee for 10-hour meters increased to 40 centers per hour. Nickels and dimes can still be deposited into the meters. For two-hour meters each nickel will provide four minutes of parking, a dime eight minutes, and one quarter 20 minutes. For the 10-hour meters each nickel will provide seven minutes of parking, a dime 15 minutes, and a quarter 37 minutes.
A display in each meter will indicate the total amount of time purchased with each coin deposited.
The resolution also increased the fee for parking meter hoods to $5.00 per day, approved the implementation of the mPay2Park application, and to access a convenience fee per mPay2Park app transaction for customers who use the new app (currently 35 cents per transaction).
While the parking meter rate increases have been implemented, the new mobile app has not. City staff is currently working to update the meters to accept the mobile application which includes the placement of stickers of each meter. One sticker will provide the meter number and Parking Zone number, and a QR code that also includes the information. The second sticker will have instructions for accessing the system.
Once implemented, users will access the mPay2Park system and set up an account to pay the fees with their mobile phone. Users can request a notification be sent from five to 10 minutes before the time expires, and users can add additional time without having to return to the meter. Time cannot be extended beyond the limits allowed for each space, however.
More information on how to use the mPay2Park app will be provided as the City completes the steps necessary for the app to go online.