Using coins to pay parking ramp fee, apparently annoying businesses downtown

Often, drivers do not have coins and
machines only take coins and credit, not cash

La Crosse’s parking utility coordinator is toying with the idea of change machines inside the downtown ramps.

Apparently, it’s been a problem in the past – people trying to exit the parking ramps and not having the correct change to a machine that takes credit cards or change but not cash.

Putting change machines in the ramp, however, seems somewhat far-fetched at this point, because of the worry they would be stolen.

“(The) biggest issue is people knocking them over and taking them, basically,” parking utility coordinator Jim Flottmeyer said. “They’re hard to secure as free-standing units. We’ve even looked at the option of building walls around them. 

“The hope is that as we move forward with a pay station system, that we don’t need coin changers.”

Businesses near the ramps have, apparently, complained that too many people come in only looking for parking change. 

“I haven’t really got a feeling how significant that is at this point,” Flottmeyer said. “(I’m going to) ask some merchants downtown to see if it’s still a significant problem.”

When patrons don’t have change, they have to back away from the gates, re-park and go find coins – whether that be under their seats or at a nearby business.