During Mayor Walsh's State of the City address Tuesday, Jan. 13, he announced a city partnership with an app that aims to temper the woes of a substantial amount of Boston's population: those who drive and park in the city everyday. ParkBoston is teaming up with City Hall to allow Bostonians to feed their meters using a mobile device.
The alliance between the city and ParkBoston represents the second instance in recent weeks in which the city has partnered up with a startup in the growing parking app sector. On Monday, Jan 12., Boston extended its three month trial program with TicketZen for another year to allow Bostonians to pay their parking tickets by simply scanning a barcode.
ParkBoston, which is free to download on iOS and Android devices, is a platform that allows users to pay their parking meters through a mobile transaction. Users need simply enter valid credit card information, the zone number, license plate and length of stay, and users can feed the meter remotely.
Parking meter enforcement personnel will then be able to look up your license plate in the system, so users don't have to leave any receipts (or their phones) on the dashboard.
"Soon, you won't have to fumble for quarters to pay the parking meter," said Mayor Walsh during his address. "You can download the ParkBoston app right now."
ParkBoston charges a 15-cent convenience fee for each transaction. Users will be prompted to accept and confirm the fee each time. Conveniently, too, it sends an alert providing a 10 minute warning as to when the meter will run out.
There will be some instances, though, where a time extension isn't allowed. If the user is outside the zone’s hours of operation or there's a parking restriction in place. It's important, then, for users to check out any other street signage for further parking information to avoid ticketing.
According to the the city, Back Bay will be the first location ParkBoston is rolled out and street signs bearing the logo will be available to show people where they can use it. The remaining 8,000 metered spaces will be phased in over the coming months.
Accessibility doesn't just apply to smartphone users either. People with basic mobile devices can use the app by signing up online at Park.Boston.gov, "the easiest and recommended way" according to the website, or through an automated IVR touch-tone system.
Somerville was actually the first city in the Greater Metro Area to adopt a mobile parking meter payment system, teaming up with Parkmobile back in November. It's solution works in the same fashion: pay a meter using a mobile device.
