Good news drivers: There’s no reason anymore to be wet or cold as you input all your information into Harrisburg’s parking meters.
This morning, the new Parkmobile parking app went live, offering convenience, discounts and a simple user interface.
To see how (and if) if the app worked, I tried it out myself downtown. I logged into the app, selected the zone closest to the blue dot indicating my location, and entered my car and payment information.
I saved this information in the app (nicknaming my Honda Civic) to make future payments easier and went about my business. The app notified me when I had 15 minutes left, as well as when my time expired. And you know what? It worked. There was no little slip of paper from Park Harrisburg (aka a ticket) when I returned.
The easy-to-use interface gets an “A+” in my book.
After I selected my zone, the app also gave me a chance to enter a promotion code. Drivers can take advantage of a downtown happy-hour discount ($1 an hour between 5 and 7 p.m.) and four hours of free parking on Saturdays. When promotions run, drivers will be able to select one to use from a list of discounts. So, unlike the previous Pango parking app, parkers won’t have to memorize any codes.
“It will be very easy and very possible for business to promote their discounts,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse said recently when announcing the switch to Parkmobile.
At least on this first day, he was spot on about that.
Other benefits of the new app include the ability of business owners to receive a 10-percent discount when offering bulk discounts to users. They also can validate parking in real time, Papenfuse has said.
“I think this empowers businesses in a way that will allow businesses to grow, and it empowers the city by bringing more people downtown,” he said recently, adding that the app also promises better communication with users about discounts and parking regulations.
The city also can use the app to communicate updates for festivals and events such as the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day parade, giving residents information about the parking situation.
In addition, the app addresses a constant complaint from people who use the physical meters—that they’re sometimes charged for time that is supposed to be free. The app does not allow that, so that free parking hours—Sundays, holidays and evenings after 7 p.m.—are actually free.
All in all, I found the new Parkmobile app to be a significant improvement over the old Pango app, as well as a better than paying the meter in person. However, improved experience did come at a cost. The app charges 35 cents per transaction, which is a 20-cent increase from Pango’s fee.
Author: Danielle Roth
