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In Hollidaysburg, the days of "digging" for change to insert into a parking meter are winding down.
However, the new electronic meter system that is expected to be fully operational at the beginning of 2027 might not be welcomed by all motorists -- at least not initially.
Unhappiness won't be surprising, if it evolves. Implementation of something new seldom receives unanimous approval.
In terms of the electronic parking meters on the way in Blair County's county seat municipality, the reason for less-than-unanimous approval is obvious; older people not yet "tuned in" to most modern gadgets might find adjusting to the new system difficult -- consistent, say, with difficulty in using a computer, tablet or the newest versions of cellphones.
That difficulty, coupled with the physical difficulties brought on by the aging process, might cause some people to avoid the Hollidaysburg business district, thus eroding the financial bottom lines of merchants and other business people.
No doubt, any effort by the borough in coming months to educate the people about how to use the new meters would be helpful.
Regardless, the new system will evolve into what hopefully will be smooth operation. There definitely will be some grumbling along the way, though, with or without specific education efforts.
That's just human nature -- to grumble about something new. However, that grumbling based mostly on failure-to-understand need not be traumatic, since there will be time for adjusting and understanding about the new meter system to fall into place.
Under the new system, users will access the payment method by scanning a QR code with their phone and paying on the app or website.
An article in the Mirror's Aug. 15-16 edition indicated that options will be available for users to select the amount of time they need on the meter -- an amount of time within the parking zone's time limit.
A resolution to change the parking time limit to three hours from two hours in certain parking zones will be considered by the borough council at its September meeting.
Borough Solicitor Nathan Karn was quoted in the Aug. 15-16 Mirror article as saying "something had to be done" in terms of replacing the old, existing meters.
He said the borough's current meters are becoming obsolete and not being manufactured anymore.
They're challenging to fix, he said.
What was not discussed at the meeting in question was the number of parking fines appeals handled by the magisterial district judge's office.
It's reasonable to believe that, rather than pursue an appeal through that office, many people who have been issued parking tickets and who believed they were victimized by a "fast meter" were reluctant to appeal their ticket because of uneasiness over where the appeal would be handled.
Under the new system, an administrative appeal process at the borough instead of going before the district judge should ease that appeal reluctance although, it seems reasonable to suggest, the new system will be more consistently accurate, cutting down the number of people alleging errors.
The new system, under a three-year contract with Just Park, a parking management software, presumably is intended to make "fast meters" a relic of the past.
But considering the parking fee and parking fine increases that apparently will be going into effect next month, some people who park regularly in the borough probably are wishing the borough council had decided to eliminate meters altogether or, if not, at least allow them to "dig for change" for many more years.