The invention relates to systems to manage parking meters using mechanical, electrical and electromechanicals monitoring and transmitting devices. Such intelligent parking meters may be used for example to monitor pollution by idling vehicles, survey the area about the meters to identify events such as vandalism, accident or any other designated emergency situation, and to monitor volume and flow of traffic to help coordinate traffic light sequencing for facilitating optimum traffic movement. The meters may be coin, bill or card operated and are useful for monitoring individual parking spaces designed to monitor conditions ambient to the parking meter and issue summons to vehicles violating the preset requirements.