What Happens to Parking Meters in Winter?

NORTH WILDWOOD – They stand silent through winter until spring, reminders of parking frustrations and scrounging for change and dollar bills. Who thinks of parking meters in the off-season?
Yet across the Wildwoods, those sentinels of summer are being repaired and serviced for the coming season. In spite of frustration and scrounging, parking meters and kiosks bring revenue to the Wildwoods, helping to keep the economic engine humming.
North Wildwood has installed kiosks in various locations near the beaches, providing more efficient service.
According to City Administrator Ron Simone, kiosks are “electronic units that accept credit cards, change and dollars.
“All units are removed from their locations around the city and brought back to the Department of Public Works yard,” Simone stated via email Jan. 28. The collected monies are then removed and deposited.
Maintenance includes removing and cleaning each unit’s battery, alongside vacuuming and cleaning the casings. Any problems are addressed and repaired, according to Simone. Placards are replaced, as needed, and units are “set aside indoors for winter storage.” In any “touch-ups,” the units are painted.
The traditional meters, operated by coins, are also housed until spring. 
Challenges
The history of parking meters in the United States goes back to 1928 when a patent was first filed by Massachusetts business theorist Roger W. Babson. It was not until 1935 when the world’s first meter was installed in Oklahoma City. Since 1935, parking meters continue to develop with new technology and in various countries.
Public Works’ employees face a unique challenge in the Wildwoods as they maintain meters. Due to salt, water, and high winds, corrosion and rust pose problems.
Wildwood Crest’s Ralph Grassi spoke of these challenges Jan. 24. According to Grassi, mechanisms must be removed to protect them from the elements. Along the streets of the Crest, meters stand emptied of mechanisms.
In Wildwood, Public Works’ Scott Gregg said that meters were once made of iron, creating a challenge for maintenance in a shore community.  
Gregg said that polyester powder helps protect the meters. Once the powder is applied, it forms a barrier, protecting the meter’s surface.
As in North Wildwood, meter mechanisms in Wildwood Crest and Wildwood are housed and any issues are addressed.
Caring for parking meters is one of the many unseen tasks undertaken by the island’s Public Works facilities. As Memorial Day Weekend nears, parking meters and those who use them can dream of summer days.
To contact Rachel Rogish, email rrogish@cmcherald.com.