Somerville says it’s the first city in the Greater Boston area to offer pay-by-phone service for metered parking spots. (Jp Gary via Flickr)
BOSTON — It’s a special kind of frustration: you nab a coveted on-street parking spot only to realize you don’t have any quarters to feed the meter. And then there’s the frantic search for a shop nearby willing to break a dollar bill.
Well, Somerville is set to make that nightmare history.
In a statement released Friday, the city says it is partnering with Parkmobile to offer pay-by-phone parking at every metered space beginning the week of Nov. 24.
While the technology isn’t new — drivers in cities like San Francisco and Washington, D.C. have been feeding the meter with their phones for years — Somerville says it’s the first city in the Greater Boston area to offer the service. (The city of Boston is reportedly working on its own pay-by-phone parking app.)
“This is a huge benefit to residents, visitors and our business community, bringing the convenience of different payment options that’s already available at multi-space and credit card-accepting meters to every meter in the city through Parkmobile,” Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone said in a statement.
To use the service, drivers must create a Parkmobile account that links to a credit or debit card. Users then enter the meter’s ID number via Parkmobile’s smartphone app or by calling a toll-free number on any mobile phone. You can also opt for notifications 15 minutes before your meter expires and add time to your meter remotely.
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