By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published December 15, 2025
ROYAL OAK — The city’s changes to its parking system are slated to be complete by Jan. 2, installing what it believes will be easy-to-use parking meters, signage and a new payment app.
The new Flowbird meters are replacing the old Municipal Parking System meters, which caused some upset with residents and visitors throughout the years they were in service.
“Royal Oak is upgrading to Flowbird pay stations and a new mobile app from ParkMobile to improve and enhance the parking experience for users,” according to the city’s website, romi.gov. “The new system provides more convenient payment options and uses new pay-by-plate technology, making it easier to park, pay, and stay downtown.”
Work on the meters began Dec. 1, with the meter delivery and initial installation on East Fourth Street.
On Dec. 17, meters are scheduled to be installed on South Troy Street, and on Dec. 18, they are scheduled to be installed on North Main Street.
“The whole point of this is to make this transition as seamless as possible, and that’s exactly how we are executing it,” City Commissioner Brandon Kolo said. “So, come Jan. 2, the new system will be online, ready to go, and no training will be needed to use it. It’s just ParkMobile, which anyone and everyone has used, no matter where you go, in different municipalities around the country. It’s a very intuitive, nice and easy app that people will be able to use on day one.”
If residents want to check out the new meters, there is a Flowbird meter located at City Hall, 203 S. Troy St., provided to help residents feel comfortable with the new technology.
“If residents are curious about how they function and what they look like, we have one that lives in our downtown City Hall that people can go check out and demo to see what the unit is going to look like,” Kolo said.
Kolo suggested that residents and visitors utilize the parking structures during this time.
“We have two weeks left in the year, and it’s a great time to come to downtown Royal Oak, and there’s always two hours of free parking in our parking decks, which are most convenient to downtown,” he said.
Some of the old MPS meters are still running and on during installation of the new meters. If there is a bag placed over the meter, then they are not on and the person parking does not have to pay.
“Always look at the meter that you park at right now to see what the requirements are, because we still have active meters that are still up,” Kolo said. “So, as long as the meter is on and active and not bagged, there is a requirement to pay.”
The cost for parking will remain the same when the Flowbirds are fully installed. In parking structures, Monday-Saturday, the first two hours are free, and 75 cents an hour thereafter. Parking is free on Sundays.
For surface lot parking, there is still a four-hour maximum time limit. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, the cost is 75 cents per hour, and from 5 p.m. to midnight, it is $1 an hour. On Sunday, surface lot parking is free.
On-street parking has a three-hour maximum time limit, with 11 a.m.-5p.m. Monday-Saturday costing $1.25 an hour, and 5 p.m.-midnight costing $1.50 an hour. On Sundays, parking is free.
For more information on the new parking meters and app, visit romi.gov.