An estimated 7 million people visited the Richmond-area between fiscal 2015-2016, and according to the Richmond-Times Dispatch, they spent about $6 million a day. With signs pointing toward a steady increase in tourism growth in the Richmond region, the city of Richmond is again upgrading its parking operations to keep up with the demand of tourists and its residents in popular high-traffic downtown areas, such as Carytown. Today, the city is launching PassportParking, a mobile parking application that allows motorists to pay for their parking through their smartphones. The app is powered by the global leader of mobile payments for parking and transit, Passport, serving cities and universities throughout North America.
The app is available for more than 1,500 on-street parking spaces primarily in the downtown area of the city. The city has 567 single-space meters and 161 pay stations. These more traditional payment methods will still be available for those who choose to use them. However, the PassportParking app is found to be a convenient alternative. The app enables parkers to monitor and extend parking sessions remotely, send alerts and notifications about parking sessions, provide payment history and emails receipts at the end of each parking session. This would be the first time Richmond has offered a mobile payment option.
“The PassportParking app will offer our residents and guests flexibility and convenience here in our city,” said Lynne Lancaster, deputy director of DPW, city of Richmond. “This technology aligns with Mayor Levar Stoney’s transportation initiatives — it helps improve the way people commute in the city. The new app will give people the freedom to enjoy Richmond at their leisure.”
“When you can enjoy a city at your own pace you get to really embody all it has to offer. When motorists use the app they can simply pay for their parking sessions from their phones and extend them, if need be. No need to run back to a meter or pay station. Our app offers the ease of doing everything from the palm of your hand. It simplifies your stay so you won’t feel rushed when all you want is to cherish your time,” said Kelsey Owens, Passport regional director.
The PassportParking app is free to download through the App Store or Google Play. Users can also manage their parking at ppprk.com. In the Commonwealth, the app is also accessible in Virginia Beach, Lynchburg, the College of William & Mary and at Northern Virginia Community College. The ParkNorfolk app, also developed by Passport, is available in Norfolk.
