It’s been well documented that the driver-less taxi firm Waymo racked up 600 parking tickets in San Francisco in 2024, totaling more than $65,000 in fines. Now that Waymo is getting ready to operate in Pittsburgh, PA, it has no excuse to repeat that performance. For that matter, anyone who envisions a future where their autonomous car can moonlight as a revenue-generating taxi while you’re hard at work can’t claim plausible deniability for parking tickets. Honestly officer, I wasn’t driving the car!
But we aren’t sure the solution is much better. Two Pittsburgh-based startups, Meter Feeder and Mapless AI, have merged to make the first machine-to-machine parking transaction system in the US. If you’re thinking this should be a simple problem to fix in 2026, you’re right. According to Technical.ly, Meter Feeder originally built the tool in 2016.
The Perfect Automated Business Model
“Cities have spent decades building analog parking infrastructure for humans,” Jim Gibbs, CEO of Meter Feeder, told Technical.ly. “We are ensuring municipalities don’t lose millions in revenue just because driverless vehicles can’t feed meters.” That sounds like a stirring piece of civic duty, but it’s really the perfect business model – automated cars making automated payments, and Meter Feeder taking a percentage of each one. Of course, you being the vehicle owner would really be footing the bill. Here’s hoping your car doesn’t have a penchant for parking spots with nice views of the city.
Considering how much Pittsburgh relies on parking fees as a source of revenue, and the timing of the two startups making an automated payment system work, it sounds like Waymo is being cornered. “Our fleets need to safely stage between rides without circling the block and adding to urban congestion,” Johnson from Mapless AI said. “Meter Feeder gave our vehicles the digital ability to be good civic citizens.”
Easy Payment
The payment tool works as you would imagine – the automated vehicle pulls up to the parking spot, alerts the Meter Feeder platform that it’s parked, then calculates the payment when ready, and settles the payment with the city. As for Pittsburgh, us individuals obviously don’t have fully autonomous cars yet, but Waymo sure does. Now, either the company or the city needs to convince Waymo to use it. The technology is purely software, and it uses the location and connectivity hardware that autonomous vehicles already need.
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34 Comments
Interesting update on Oh Great, Your Future Autonomous Car Could Rack Up Parking Fees For You. Curious how the grades will trend next quarter.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
The cost guidance is better than expected. If they deliver, the stock could rerate.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Interesting update on Oh Great, Your Future Autonomous Car Could Rack Up Parking Fees For You. Curious how the grades will trend next quarter.
Production mix shifting toward USA might help margins if metals stay firm.
Nice to see insider buying—usually a good signal in this space.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Exploration results look promising, but permitting will be the key risk.
If AISC keeps dropping, this becomes investable for me.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Uranium names keep pushing higher—supply still tight into 2026.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
I like the balance sheet here—less leverage than peers.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Nice to see insider buying—usually a good signal in this space.
Interesting update on Oh Great, Your Future Autonomous Car Could Rack Up Parking Fees For You. Curious how the grades will trend next quarter.
Exploration results look promising, but permitting will be the key risk.
I like the balance sheet here—less leverage than peers.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Silver leverage is strong here; beta cuts both ways though.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Silver leverage is strong here; beta cuts both ways though.
Production mix shifting toward USA might help margins if metals stay firm.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Production mix shifting toward USA might help margins if metals stay firm.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.