MANHATTAN — The city's Department of Transportation is hoping to save New Yorkers from frantic quarter hunts and mid-movie sprints to the meter by allowing them to make their parking payments via cell phone.
The DOT invited companies on Monday to submit proposals for a new system, which would give drivers the option of using their mobile phones to feed parking meters.
“We're giving no quarter to the inconvenience of feeding coins into the meter,” DOT
Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said in a statement on Tuesday. “Piloting pay-by-phone technology can eliminate the mad dash for meter change and it's another great example of technology improving quality of life for New Yorkers.”
Once a proposal is accepted, the new system will be introduced as part of a pilot program that includes only 300 spaces in an area yet to be determined. If the program is deemed a success, the DOT might choose to expand it citywide, according to Tuesday's statement.
Drivers who want to pay by phone will have to register with the system and provide credit or debt card information in order to be billed. After that, they'll be able feed the meter using their cells for as long as regulations allow them to park in a given space.
In addition to making parking more convenient for drivers, the new digital system could expedite the process of verifying whether a car is parked legally, DOT officials said.
The city is currently in the process of replacing traditional, single-space parking meters with "Muni-Meters," which serve multiple spots and give drivers the option of paying electronically, through credit or NYC Parking cards.
Proposals for the pilot are due Sept. 14, and the program could be up-and-running by spring 2012.
A similar pay-by-phone system is already being implemented in Washington, D.C., the statement noted.
