CLEVELAND, Ohio — Drivers can leave their parking lot and pay for on-street parking in some areas of downtown Cleveland using the ParkMobile phone app.
The long-awaited debut of Cleveland’s Smart Parking Payment System took effect Monday, marking the beginning of a rollout period in which on-street parking lots across the city will be converted from coin-only machines to the new payment technology.
Mayor Justin Bibb is pushing for a transition to new technology, saying it’s part of an overall strategy to modernize city services.
“We are pleased to partner with ParkMobile to deploy this advanced technology to significantly improve the city parking experience for residents and visitors alike,” Bibb said in a Monday news release.
Over the next year, Cleveland’s parking lots will undergo a transition from the old system to the new system. For now, the coin machines remain in the same locations as before, and drivers who rely on coin payments are free to continue using them. But those who want to pay using their mobile phones now have that option. To do this, download the ParkMobile app and link your credit or debit card, or call the ParkMobile voice line.
Currently, drivers can only use app payments in some areas of downtown, but ParkMobile intends to expand those areas over time, said Marie Zickefoos, a spokeswoman for City Hall. . Once downtown is complete, the expansion will extend to paid parking in other areas of the city.
At some point, the coin-only meter will be removed. Next spring, City Hall plans to replace them with about 700 new meters from Flowbird, which will accept payment options such as coins, debit cards and credit cards, Zickefoos said.
So where can you use the ParkMobile app? Look out for the new bright green signs and green stickers on parking meters. These specify areas where the app is already activated.
Areas with green signs are currently one of ParkMobile’s numbered parking zones. Users can enter their license plate and the number of the parking zone they are in and decide when to park. Once an in-app transaction is completed, the city’s parking enforcement team confirms that people paid by checking the license plate number or, for coin users, the physical meter. Zickfoos said.
Hourly parking prices already appear to be increasing on East 9th Street, one of the downtown parking zones where mobile payments began Monday. Parking fees at the facility were previously capped at $1, but on Monday they now require $1.35 per hour to pay through the ParkMobile app.
Parking fees were expected to increase as part of the new parking system, but it was unclear by how much. The city uses dynamic pricing, meaning rates will change based on demand and location.
Drivers may encounter several collisions during the transition.
On its first day, a cleveland.com reporter took a test drive of the new system to see how it works. For example, parking on East 9th Street went smoothly. But reporters also found a parking zone near Chester Avenue and East 13th Street that didn’t appear to offer hourly rates to drivers completing short errands. Instead, the system seemed to require him to pay a flat rate of $7.95 for 12 hours of parking. Cleveland.com has asked City Hall for clarification as to why, but Zickefoose said the area has not yet been enabled on ParkMobile’s platform.