Now villagers can charge parking fees in Rockville Centre

Rockville Centre has begun installing new parking “consoles” that will allow people who park downtown to pay with credit and debit cards as well as dollar bills and coins. Parking rates will not change.

A total of 14 of the new metering units were purchased for $219,000 from Devo Associates/Parkeon last year. They were installed on March 23 in three municipal parking fields: seven in Municipal Parking Field 1, between Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road and between Park and Morris avenues; three in Field 7, behind the Fantasy Theater; and four in Field 8, behind the 7-Eleven on Merrick Road. There are plans for additional units to be installed in the parking lot behind the Sandel Senior Center.

The consoles are capable of communicating with one another, and allow parkers to use any console regardless of their space number.

Parkers will also be given a seven-minute grace period after the time expires before they are ticketed.

Village police aides will use laptop computers to access the units and get a color coded view of cars that are paid (green), those in the grace period (yellow) and those that are in violation (red).

“We were always accused of lurking — I hate to use that word — but now people should be made aware that there is a grace period,” said Code Enforcement Supervisor Bob Nugent.

The new units are also easier for the village to maintain. They will send automatic messages to a computer at the Department of Public Works, and a supervisor’s cell phone, in the event of any problems.

According to Mayor Francis Murray, the new system is designed “for the convenience of our residents and visitors.”

Visit the Herald’s Facebook page to let us know if you “like” the new parking consoles, and to comment on them.