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NORWALK, Conn. Soon, you won't have to worry as much about the time running out on your parking meter in Norwalk, provided you have a cell phone. The Norwalk Parking Authority and Parkmobile USA, Inc. have announced a new service that will let you save time and money by using your cell to feed the meter. You can even get a text message when the parking session is about to expire.
The authority expects the service to be fully implemented in October, but you can pre-register and download a mobile app now online. Once the service is fully in place, you'll be able to use the mobile app, the Internet, or a phone call to pay for parking. Motorists will also be able to select an option to receive text message alerts and reminders 15 minutes before their parking session expires.
This is Parkmobile's first implementation in Connecticut and the first pay-by-phone option in the area that can be accessed by an app on a smart phone.
"Pay-by-phone offers customers a new and better way to pay for parking. Parkmobile users have 24/7 access to their online account. They can print reports and easily track their parking expenses. It's much faster and more convenient," Albert Bogaard, CEO of Parkmobile, said in a statement.
John Federici, chairman of the Norwalk Parking Authority, said in the statement: "The benefits to parking customers are many. This system eliminates the hassle of feeding the meter. No cash is needed and the text reminders minimize the risk to drivers of getting ticketed or towed."
"People can still pay with coins or credit cards, but this system offers many convenient benefits not only to the individual parker but to the business community," Kathryn Hebert, director of the Norwalk Parking Authority, said in a statement. "Finally, there is the opportunity to validate customers and clients by just registering their business. It is so simple. Once you register, just enter in the zone number (visible at every meter and pay station) into the app on your smartphone or via a phone call, and voila! You don't even have to get out of your car to pay."
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