Metered Parking Undergoes a Small Change

September 3, 2026
• Modernizing the way people pay for parking has taken a long time to happen in the town center. This week, a new system kicks off that may end the fruitless search for loose coins in your car’s cupholders.

Needham residents may have noticed some new yellow stickers on the sides of the parking meters in Needham Center and Needham Heights.

No, they’re not for aesthetic reasons. These stickers are showcasing a new option for people to pay for the metered parking spaces in town. After months of research, the Town has selected the HotSpot mobile app as a secondary option for parking space payments. The service became fully operational as of Sept. 4.

For those frustrated by having to run out to feed the meter, or those who tend to forget exactly when their time runs out, this new approach may soon prove indispensable. For shop owners, this may reduce the need to keep coins on hand, just in case.

If you want to stay more old school, not to worry. The town will not be terminating the use of coins, instead allowing people to choose between either option. After all, there are pros and cons that come with either payment method.

The town hopes that this new partnership and update will help stimulate growth for the business community and help better manage parking resources. We spoke with Needham Economic Development Director John Sisson about the rollout of the new system and its early impact.

This story ran as part of the Needham Channel News, a weekly newscast airing on The Needham Channel every Thursday at 7:30pm. The Needham Channel News can be found on the Community Channel: Comcast 9, Astound 15 and Verizon 29. Most Thursdays it also can be viewed on our HD Channel on Verizon 2129, Astound 613 and streaming on this site.