New app allows New York City drivers to pay for parking via cell phone

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Parking is one of the biggest headaches in New York City, but a new app may be about to make things easier.

Drivers will soon be able to pay for street parking via their cell phones, with the city having partnered with Parkmobile to create an app for payments at all of the city's street meters.

The de Blasio administration on Monday announced the introduction of ParkNYC, what it calls a new and convenient way to pay for on-street parking in New York City.

ParkNYC allows motorists to remotely pay for parking using an online system that links registered license plate numbers to NYPD traffic enforcement agents' handheld devices that confirm payment.

"Parking in New York City can be a challenge, but ParkNYC will make it just a bit easier," de Blasio said. "With no paper receipt and the ability to quickly get on your way, this new pay-by-cell tool fulfills our commitment - made in this year's State of the City address - that we would help save New Yorkers the most precious of resources: their time."

The process for using ParkNYC:

1. Download the ParkNYC app or go to ParkNYC to register an account.

2. Enter personal information including phone number and email; create a password.

3. Provide a license plate number for the account and set alert/notification preferences.

4. Load your wallet. A ParkNYC wallet works like EZPass, and can be reloaded in increments as low as $25. Once registered, drivers may use the mobile app, internet or a toll-free number to pay for parking.

5. Park. After parking, enter the unique zone number for block and length of time. After confirmation, the driver is set!

6. Extend. If time is running out and maximum time has not already been reached, parking time can be extended without returning to the car.

Officials said ParkNYC is a new option for parking payment and underscored that DOT Muni-Meters would continue to accept coins and credit/debit cards for payment for customers who don't wish to use the new service. Parking rates and time limits are block-side-specific and will remain unchanged for all payment methods.

The ParkNYC mobile app went live on Friday, December 16, and is available for download for free for iPhones in the App Store and for Android at Google Play. Beginning this month, ParkNYC zone numbers will roll out on signs and decals on the sides of Muni-Meters in Manhattan between 14th and 59th Streets. The new signs and decals identify each block-side with a distinctive six-digit zone code.

The NYPD will also benefit from the mobile technology as police officers will be able to issue parking tickets electronically.

Parkmobile already operates a similar app in other cities, like Hoboken, and developed this one for New York City at no cost.