This winter, swipe your card at the curb

The Hartford Parking Authority voted today to approve a five-year, $2.2 million agreement with Parkeon in the first steps toward installing credit card-ready parking meters downtown. Parkeon, the low bidder in the authority’s request for proposals, is initially charged with putting in 12 of the high-tech meters this winter in a 60-day pilot program. The meters will accept both coins and credit cards, and are intended to increase parking services’ revenue by keeping better track of who’s paid up for their parking.