Baltimore is using parking meters to curb panhandling and raise awareness for homeless advocacy

As anyone who lives in the Bay Area knows, issues related to parking meters can sometimes get very contentious and that’s an understatement.  But what if instead of generating controversy, parking meters were being used to fight a social ill? Instead of only preventing yourself from getting a ticket, feeding a meter also meant doing good for your community?

Well in a number of cities such an experiment is underway.  Painted in a special color so as to stand out from the others, special meters have been installed with all the proceeds going directly to services such as shelters, housing, job counseling and health care.  The programs are in place to discourage panhandling reasoning that money towards services would go further towards helping people.

The idea was first tried in Baltimore and has spread to cities like Denver, Chattanooga and Las Vegas. In Baltimore they’re located around the touristy harbor area, and when coins are deposited, the dials click from “despair” to “hope.”  In Denver they’ve used this as part of an effort to curb panhandling which is down 92%.  There, the meters have raised almost $100,000.

The idea of parking for social change is one that could easily be adapted and a catch on in the Bay Area which has a high rate of charitable giving, and a history of taking an unusual approach to parking spaces.

(photo via flickr user ktylerconk)