Patrons parking in the Water Street and Market Street garages now have a choice of how to pay for their parking sessions. They can either create an account for automatic payment through the garage operator, Metropolis, or use a kiosk to pay via cash or card.

On Friday, Feb. 27, the City of Charlottesville installed the new payment kiosks in both garages. They cost about $11,000 each, City Spokesperson Afton Schneider told Charlottesville Tomorrow on Monday.

The new kiosks are a response to concerns raised over a new AI-powered parking management system installed in both garages in mid-December 2025.

Many community members were unhappy with the change. Most didn’t know it was happening, and after learning more about the new management company, Metropolis, and its AI-driven technology, they raised concerns about privacy and data security. Some drivers had problems with the system just hours after it was installed — some were charged the wrong rate, and there was a payment issue between two cars from two different states with the same license plate characters.

Others complained about having to use a smartphone app and a credit card in order to park. For years, news outlets including NPR and NBC, as well as organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, have raised concerns that cashless systems can contribute to discrimination among lower income and vulnerable community members who may not be able to meet the requirements to open and maintain a bank account.

It’s “one of the few times” that residents, activists, and business owners have all agreed on an issue, City Councilor Michael Payne remarked during a City Council meeting in January. During that meeting, councilors echoed community members’ concerns, while city staff focused on problems with the old system that should be alleviated by the new one.

Anyone who chooses to use the cash or card kiosk will not have to create a Metropolis account in order to park in either garage, Schneider said. But they will have to input their license plate number into the machine so that the Metropolis AI technology can recognize their vehicle and raise the exit gate.

The cash-and-card payment kiosks are not located at the garages’ exits. The one for the Water Street garage is located on the ground level, in the stairwell at the corner of 2nd and Water Streets.

The blue circle shows the location of the payment kiosk for the Water Street garage, on the ground floor of the garage building at the intersection of Water and Second streets.
The blue circle shows the location of the payment kiosk for the Water Street garage, on the ground floor of the garage building at the intersection of Water and Second streets. Credit: Erin O'Hare/Charlottesville Tomorrow
The ground floor of a parking garage. At the center is an open doorway, with a concrete wall to the left and a metal and glass wall to the right. Over the doorway is a sign that reads "pay station" with two arrows pointing downward. Beyond the doorway are metal and concrete stairs, and, to the left, a payment kiosk. A chain-link fence is pushed up close to the kiosk and perpendicular to it, and there is a traffic cone in front of the fence.
On Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, the City of Charlottesville installed a new cash-and-card payment kiosk for the Water Street garage. Credit: Erin O'Hare/Charlottesville Tomorrow

The kiosk in the Market Street garage is located on the Downtown Mall, near the brick-paved elevator landing underneath CitySpace.

A four-story brick and concrete building situated on a brick-paved street on a rainy day. The bricks are wet, and there are bare trees and lampposts, as well as large oval planters, visible to the right side of the building. There is a glass elevator and a brick column at the center of the photo. A drawn-on circle is meant to show the specific location of a payment kiosk.
The blue circle shows the location of the new payment kiosk for the Market Street garage installed on Feb. 27, 2026. It’s on the ground floor of the garage building, on the Downtown Mall side, and is accessible by a few stairs or a ramp. The kiosk is directly behind the elevator shaft, near the elevator door. Credit: Erin O'Hare/Charlottesville Tomorrow
A ground-level brick structure on a brick-paved floor. At the center of the photo is a payment kiosk. To the right of the kiosk is an elevator door. To the left of the photo, there is a trash can. There are also two signs with instructions for how to pay for parking.
The Market Street parking garage payment kiosk, located below CitySpace on the Downtown Mall. The new kiosk was installed on Feb. 27, 2026 to allow drivers to pay for parking without using a smartphone. Credit: Erin O'Hare/Charlottesville Tomorrow

The automatic payment option via the Metropolis website or its mobile app still exists.

However, all license plates — regardless of how the driver chooses to pay — will still be subject to the Metropolis camera technology and the company’s policies. A Charlottesville Tomorrow report from December 2025 explains how that technology works.

I'm Charlottesville Tomorrow's neighborhoods reporter. I’ve never met a stranger and love to listen, so, get in touch with me here. If you’re not already subscribed to our free newsletter, you can do that here, and we’ll let you know when there’s a fresh story for you to read. I’m looking forward to getting to know more of you.