Photo by Claudia Holwill
Keys? Check. Wallet? Check. Cell phone? Check. Change for the parking meter? Now that is something I’m an expert at not having. Thank goodness for my zone 6 parking which has allowed me to find parking on the Hill countless times without having to seek out spare change for a meter.
But once I venture off the Hill, parking has always been somewhat of an ordeal. Personally, the district parking meters that take credit cards don’t do much for me. You have to park, stand in line to get your receipt at the machine, which is often broken — leaving you with the ultimate dilemma — chance it? Leave a note on your dash, “I tried – machine broken!” or find a new space altogether. And sometimes, the pay-to-park station is quite far from where you’ve actually parked. The whole thing is just, well, not convenient.
What is convenient is Parkmobile, the pay from your cell phone parking service that is now active in DC, including on the Hill. DC has 17,000 of these pay from your cell phone spaces in operation, each marked with a bright green Parkmobile sticker.
Users need to register once online (registration is free) and can then use a mobile app or make a phone call to pay while referencing the space number on the Parkmobile sticker. Your payment will appear in real time on handheld devices used by parking enforcement officers in the area. And no need to keep an eye on your watch, Parkmobile will send a text 15 minutes before your session expires. Parking rates are the same whether you use Parkmobile or feed the meter with coins. You can also register online for a permit to park at Parkmobile meters, more information on that here.
Happy parking, people.