Providence Place mall will start a new parking fee system to try to unclog the bottlenecks that plague its parking garage.

People who drive to the mall will be able to pay their parking fees at ATM-like machines and cashier stations spread throughout the mall, alleviating the need for vehicles to queue alongside cashier booths at garage exits.

After March 17, drivers entering the mall will draw a ticket from a dispenser, just as they do now. On the way out of the stores, they will be able to stop at one of the beige-colored machines, or at two cashier stations, to pay their parking fee and have their ticket processed.
As they get to the garage exit, they will simply slip the ticket into a reader that will open a gate.

People who forget to use one of the payment machines or visit a cashier staffing a station will be able to pay by credit card at the garage gates by swiping the cards through a reader.

Read more about the parking fee later today on projo.com/business or in tomorrow's Journal business section.