New parking meters that accept credit and debit cards along with coins will be installed next month around the Civic Center, part of a pilot project to replace all meters on Oahu with the technology.

"We’re moving away from last century’s technology to this century’s technology and it’s making us a smarter city," Mayor Peter Carlisle said Monday at a news conference to announce the project. "It’s going to make things more convenient for the people who live here and more efficient in terms of all the operations that surround the parking meters."

The first phase of the project involves replacing 373 meters in the Civic Center area, downtown and Chinatown.

The city plans to collect data and study usage patterns for six months to determine whether to replace meters islandwide.

"We expect it to be a good thing for the city, but we just want to make sure before we commit that much resources to these new devices," city Transportation Director Wayne Yoshioka said.

THE cost for replacing the first 373 meters is about $349,000. Replacing Oahu’s remaining 2,720 meters is estimated at $1.5 million.

The first meters being replaced — 110 machines in the Civic Center and Honolulu Police Department garages and along South King and Punchbowl streets near the state Capitol and City Hall — are expected to be ready to go by June 4.

Meter rates and time limits will not change during the pilot project.

The new meters will be solar-powered and allow payment with coins, cards or a combination of both. Users also are able to record their meter number to add time by calling a phone number and providing an operator with payment information. No credit card information is stored on the meters or by the city, officials said.

Metered stalls will include a sensor that records when the stall is occupied, allowing officials to monitor frequency of use and turnover.

The information also could be used for parking enforcement and for developing a smartphone app that would allow users to see which parking stalls are open at any given time, Yoshioka said.

Demonstration models are being placed inside Honolulu Hale and the Fasi Municipal Building. More information can be found online at ipsgroupinc.com/honolulu.

The vendor is IPS Group Inc. of San Diego.