West Hartford Introduces New Mobile Parking App

WEST HARTFORD-- Paying for parking in the town of West Hartford just became much easier.

Starting Thursday, on-street parking at any of nearly  500 metered spaces in West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square are now just a tap away.

The town has contracted with  "Passport Parking"--a company that enables drivers to use a mobile devices to pay for parking with a credit card.

"We  just saw a need for our customers to have another ability of a payment system to pay for their parking needs," said West Hartford Public Works Director John Phillips.

Drivers set up an account with the app, which includes a secure credit card registration.  Drivers must also input the code for downtown parking, "860," and their license plate number.

The app will also alert you five minutes before your parking session is due to expire so you can add more time remotely, eliminating the need to feed the meter.

"This app is tied to your vehicle, not the space you're in, because we use the digits of your license plate--as a unique identifying number of where the vehicle is parked," Phillips said.

There is a 25-cent convenience fee per parking session.

"I don't think i would use with the fee involved to get a coffee, but if i was going out to dinner with somebody I might use it," said West Hartford resident Julie Bidwell.

The town introduced 46 digital parking kiosks in June. They accept coins and credit cards. There are occasionally lines to pay for parking, especially during peak hours.

Some drivers are still getting adjusted to the new technology.

"I think we're all dealing with the newness of the actual units themselves, which are a little complicated," said West Hartford resident Jennifer Mooney.

Some around West Hartford seemed to embrace the new method of payment.

Billy Grant, the owner of Restaurant Briccio and Grant's Restaurant, says being able to pay for parking on mobile devices should help business.

Grant says he sees many customers leave his restaurants to feed the meter, and people often forgetg the town enforces on-street parking until 10:00 p.m. on most nights.

"They can use their app right from the restaurant. If they're here they don't have to get up and feed the meter. If they come here for happy hour and anticipate staying longer than they anticipated than they can do it, so it's a good thing," Grant said.