Montgomery County is hoping the installation of 5,800 new electronic parking meters in downtown Silver Spring will help boost the county’s beleaguered cashless parking-payment system.

The Cash Key system, which uses a reloadable key-like device, was first introduced in downtown Bethesda, North Bethesda and Wheaton in the late 1990s, but has flatlined in terms of participation, officials said. In the 2005-06 fiscal year, just 700 Cash Keys were sold.

County spokeswoman Esther Bowring said the new meters, which cost the county $750,000, nearly double the number of meters that accept Cash Keys to 12,000 of the county’s estimated 20,000 meters. Yet a brief tour through downtown Silver Spring revealed the new meters show no information about the cashless system.

Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation spokesman Tom Pogue said the county does not have a marketing budget for the program and has mainly depended on word-of-mouth advertising. Pogue also said because the county only has jurisdiction over meters in the four specific urban districts, the system may not be convenient for everyone.

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“With more places to use it, especially in the newly bustling Silver Spring area, the more enticing it may be for residents,” Pogue said.

One more reason for slow usage is that the keys, which can hold up to $650, can only be filled at four designated locations, including the Silver Spring and Bethesda Parking Stores, the Mid-County Regional Services Center, and the North Bethesda Transportation Management District office.

Bowring said there are no plans to install more “fill stations,” but said the locations are convenient and easily accessible in the urban areas. The new meters will continue to accept coins, Bowring said.

mrupert@dcexaminer.com