Media's Solar Parking Meter Disaster - Borough Council Didn't Properly Plan for Lack of Sun

Sun setting (literally) on Media's Solar Parking Meters!

Borough taxpayers will not be happy to hear that the effort by Media Borough Council to install solar powered, credit card acceptable parking meters is quietly being phased out.  The problem here is that the lack of sun on the south side of State Street does not provide nearly enough solar energy to keep the batteries charged.  In fact, I'm hearing that they are frequently swapping the north side meters with the south side in order to try and keep the meters functional.  

You can't keep doing that forever, but with the replacement of batteries apparently costing almost as much as these meter take in, the outlook isn't good.  In fact, I'm hearing they may return to purchasing mechanical ones that were there before.  Unfortunately, the old meters that were replaced were either given away or sold. 

Over a year ago I openly questioned this decision and even discussed why I thought parking kiosks made sense.  Maybe that idea will receive some credence now that the whole effort has to be done all over again.  Expensive?  It may cost up to $10,000 due to the poor planning by a council that clearly can't even determine which way the sun shines, let alone manage a town.