July 18, 2017 By Nathaly Pesantez
Motorists can pay for on-street parking in Queens and citywide using their phones, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today.
ParkNYC is a mobile phone app that will allow motorists across the five boroughs to pay for parking remotely. An online system links license plate numbers to NYPD traffic enforcement agents who confirm payment through their handheld devices.
The announcement was made as Queens parking meters became live in the final step of the program’s rollout. When ParkNYC launched in December 2016, it was only available in midtown Manhattan.
With Queens live this week, pay-by-cell is now available Citywide at all 85,000 parking spots served by DOT Muni-Meters.
The app is free and available for iPhone and Androids. Users must enter personal information and their vehicle’s license plate number. The app also features a “wallet” function, where money can be loaded in increments as low as $25.
Once parked, motorists input the unique zone number for the block and the duration of their parking.
The app also features an “extend” option, where parking time can be added without returning to the car.
“We are excited to bring ParkNYC to Queens, and thrilled that mobile payment is now available at every metered parking space in every borough,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, who held a press conference demonstrating the device in Forest Hills today. “Now drivers no longer have to scramble for change, and they don’t even need to walk to a Muni-Meter to get a receipt that could blow away from their dashboard.
Parking meters will still accept coins and credit/debit cards for payment, and rates will remain unchanged, according to a press release.
Remote payments can also be made online without the app by going to www.parknyc.org. An automated phone system is also set up for payments through a toll-free number.
