Peterborough’s new parking app for smartphones, which is expected to make it easier to pay for and track parking downtown, is all set to make its debut tomorrow (via The Peterborough Examiner).
Terry Guiel, the executive director of the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) said he’s “thrilled” about the app’s release. “I think it’s absolutely necessary for a modern city,” he added. “More and more people aren’t carrying cash — especially not small change”.
Currently, the only way to pay for parking downtown is through meters or pay-and-display machines which do not accept debit or credit cards. With the new parking app, people will be able to pay using their credit and debit cards through their smartphones. No details about exactly how the system will work have, however, yet been made available by the city.
Peterborough’s parking operations co-ordinator Lynn Todd has said that more information will be shared when the app is unveiled in the City Hall boardroom tomorrow:
Dean Pappas, who was re-elected as Town Ward councilor in the Oct. 22 election, said Tuesday he’s delighted the parking app is coming. The new mobile app will likely be less expensive for the city than retrofitting pay-and-display machines to take debit or credit, he said.
“This is a cheaper option, and probably more convenient for people,” Pappas said. “Everyone seems to have a smartphone these days.”
The downtown also has free WiFi, he added, which means motorists won’t have to use their data to pay for parking.
When Toronto started using its mobile parking app back in 2016, the number of parking tickets issued in the city dropped by a third within 10 months.
