In Seattle a number of on-street parking pay stations recently experienced some technical problems. A cellular tower operated for our pay station provider, Parkeon, had signal strength trouble that intermittently prevented the stations from processing credit card transactions. The tower typically broadcasts a signal for eight to ten miles but sporadically had its signal strength drop to two miles.
At any time from several dozen to 100 stations, out of 2,200 citywide, in the Pike/Pine, waterfront, Belltown and University District areas were affected by this cell tower problem. As SDOT worked with Parkeon to resolve the issue, parking enforcement officers in these neighborhoods were asked to be lenient in issuing citations, especially if there was any indication that the machines are not working appropriately.
Parkeon and its cellular service provider resolved the tower’s technical concerns early Wednesday morning, allowing the impacted pay stations to return to full service. As of Friday morning, only five stations were still experiencing issues, primarily because of their need to cycle through all the attempted transactions.
If you were charged for parking but did not receive a receipt, have discovered multiple credit card charges or received a parking ticket in error, please call SDOT at 206-733-9241. SDOT will have those credit card charges and parking citations dismissed.