There are close to 2,800 paid parking spaces in Colorado Springs, and depending on the street, drivers might encounter three different types of parking meters.Parking meters are a standard part of stopping in downtown Colorado S prings, requiring drivers to figure out how to pay using coins, credit cards, or an app."I get a ticket because I'm doing something wrong," a woman who just finished lunch with a friend said."It's not going to detour us from coming downtown. I solved my problem by getting quarters," her lunch companion said.On streets like Boulder Street, drivers can find older style meters that accept coins and inserted credit cards on one side of the street, while the opposite side features newer meters equipped with solar panels and screens with many more functions for payment.Colorado Springs Parking Enterprise Manager Alyssa Alt said the newer meters offer more options."We have the tap to pay. You can use your Apple or your Google Pay. You can insert your credit card. You can use coins," Colorado Springs Parking Enterprise Manager Alyssa Alt said.On two recently reworked blocks of Tejon Street, individual parking meters have been removed entirely. Instead, drivers punch their license plate numbers into a centralized kiosk."It's really just to decrease clutter," Alt said.The kiosk system makes space for wider sidewalks, seating, and trees.There is a commonality between all three ways of paying that allows drivers to monitor their parking from a distance using the Park Mobile app."If you're maybe running late or you decided you wanted to have that dessert at your dinner, then you can just add more time from your table," Alt said.While there are three types of metering for now, the older models are at the end of their life and are being replaced as funds become available."Our maintenance team was spending a lot of time changing batteries, updating systems, and things were just not working as they could," Alt said.Advancing technology is driving the changes, and parking managers indicate that as technology continues to rapidly evolve, there will likely be more updates to parking services in Colorado Springs in the years ahead."This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."____Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching. ...read more read less