MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Seattle parking trick will expire under new pay-by-plate system

Jun 25, 2018, 4:27 PM

window stickers, parking, seattle parking...

(KIRO 7)

(KIRO 7)

The Seattle City Council voted to do away with window parking stickers printed at street-side meters throughout the city. Meters will be replaced with a new license plate-based system, and Seattle parking rules will change with them.

The council moved to nix the window receipts at its Monday meeting, in favor of “pay-by-plate” or “pay-by-phone” options. Customers will simply enter their license plate number at the meter. Paying by smartphone is already an option for drivers.

RELATED: Housing affordability hits decade low

“Whether you use a smartphone app or a cash or credit card at the station, what this does is it streamlines the ability of parking enforcement officers to check one specific place to see if a vehicle has paid or not, as opposed to checking both on their database and the sticker,” Councilmember Mike O’Brien said.

O’Brien also said that the new meters will still allow for receipts to be printed, for drivers who want a paper record.

“It will also allow people to create accounts so they can go online and see all the payments they have made,” he said.

The city has already been using the “pay-by-phone” option and about a third of drivers have been using it. The pay-by-plate option could start as soon as August. There are about 1,700 parking meters in Seattle that will have to be replaced with the new system.

New Seattle parking rules

The new Seattle parking method may not be greeted by many drivers who like to take their unused time with them to another spot. As The Seattle Times reports, drivers currently have the ability to drive to a new parking spot and continue to use their window receipt for time spent there. Under the new system, however, that won’t be an option. The sticker that drivers initially pay for will only be good for the block they start in.

People who pay using their smartphone already have experienced this limitation.

MyNorthwest News

Image: The awnings of a store advertise the sale of lottery tickets, including Mega Millions and Po...

Steve Coogan

Lottery jackpots update: Powerball prize up for grabs after $1.1B Mega Millions ticket sold

A lottery jackpots update: The Powerball prize reached an estimated $865 million ahead of Wednesday night's drawing.

7 hours ago

Photo: The Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center....

James Lynch

King County’s plan to close youth detention center met with fierce backlash

The King County Law and Justice Committee received a final report on Executive Dow Constantine's plan to close a youth detention center.

8 hours ago

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

10 hours ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

10 hours ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

11 hours ago

Image: A Tacoma teen was shot outside her Tacoma Hilltop area apartment over the weekend....

Heather Bosch

Estranged boyfriend suspected in Tacoma teen’s death turns himself in

We're learning more about the man who's accused of fatally shooting a teenager outside her Tacoma Hill Top area apartment over the weekend.

11 hours ago

Seattle parking trick will expire under new pay-by-plate system