Pay for parking via cell phone
By: Jack Nerad for Driving Today
Date: 2004-08-28
People continue to complain about phone use in the car, but now you can actually park by phone as well. The company that makes and sells the dreaded Denver Boot that terrorizes scofflaws has a new way to help you avoid getting one affixed to your car--a system that lets you pay for parking at meters and lots by using your cell phone.
Similar to some systems in use in Europe, the first-of-its-kind in the USA parking system was launched in Denver, Colorado recently by Clancy Systems International, a company that supplies a variety of parking-enforcement services. The Park-by-Phone payment program will be inaugurated at 12 downtown lots managed by AMPCO System Parking, with more than 50 to be added eventually.
Anyone who enrolls in Park-by-Phone either online or by calling a toll-free number can avoid the hassle of stuffing coins, bills, tokens, or credit cards into parking meters, boxes, and machines. Here's how it works:
- Sign up at www.Park-By-Phone.com for an annual membership costing $5.95.
- Print a temporary ID card from your computer and place on your car dash. A permanent hanger for your rear-view mirror will be mailed to you.
- Pay for parking each time by calling 888-310-PARK and entering the lot or meter number, which are visibly marked on bright yellow signs.
An added convenience of Park-by-Phone is that members can remotely add more time to a parking meter that is about to expire by calling the toll-free number or accessing the Web site. When paying by cell phone, members are instantly recognized by callerID, eliminating the need to enter a membership number. Customers need only enter a PIN and lot number.
A "convenience fee" of 10 percent is added to the parking charge. In return, each annual subscriber receives a monthly bill via e-mail or regular mail, offering the advantages of paying once for a month of parking and receiving a detailed expense record.
"We believe this program could be as much of a milestone as the introduction of the parking meter in 1935 and the Denver Boot in 1953--but with one big difference," says Stanley Wolfson, Clancy president. "Park-by-Phone gives an advantage to drivers. Parking is easier because they no longer have to fumble for the right coins or bills."
Parking-enforcement officers can validate Park-by-Phone payments through a cell phone call or use of a specially programmed personal digital assistant (PDA) furnished by Clancy. The company returns all revenue generated by Park-by-Phone to the owner of the parking space minus the 10 percent convenience fee.
Montreal gets solar powered
Montreal has become the first North American city to install solar/wireless pay stations. Drivers in the French Canadian city punch in their parking spot number and pay their fee, which is processed in real time. Parking officers then monitor spots from any part of the city using a wireless PDA. Montreal-based 8-D Technologies created the stations.
"When its white it means that the parking space is paid and when its red its unpaid so that's all the parking officers need to know to determine whether time is expired and the car is still there to get a ticket or not," says 8-D Technologies President and CEO Isabelle Bettez.
The new system also allows drivers to pay their fees using a cell phone. This year, Montreal may add another five hundred stations. Soon one may be popping up in a city near you. Java technology developed by Sun Microsystems is used to enable the new system of pay stations to work.
"Pay stations in Montreal are another example of how Suns Java technology is helping to improve the lives of consumers," says Sun's John Loicano. "With Java common tasks like paying a parking meter are no longer a hassle."
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