Village officials mull use of parking app
Village officials are considering an electronic parking meter system that would allow people to pay by using their phone.
Mayor Tim Rogers discussed the proposal during a telephone interview Thursday, saying the system would be used in the municipal lot and meters throughout the business district.
“I’ve done some research on buying a new parking kiosk for our main lot but also creating an option of using a pay-by-phone app for the ... 262 parking meters,” he said.
“Then we have one lot with about 80 spots in it,” Rogers said. “That’s the one next to the Village Tea Room.”
Rogers is seeking information from Whoosh!, which is used in Kingston and Cold Spring.
“I think there is some advantage to using the same app the city of Kingston has,” Rogers said.
Rogers estimated it would cost about $10,000 to install the kiosk and place stickers with the app QR code on meters.
“What I like about this is that if you want to continue to pay by coins its only 50 cents per hour,” he said. “If you want to use the pay-by-phone app it’s still going to be 50 cents an hour but then you’re paying that 35-cent fee to Whoosh!”
Whoosh! users will be required to provide a credit card number and license plate numbers and then find their location on a map provide through the app. They will be notified when their meter time is near expiration, with the service fee charged each extended period of time requested.
The Whoosh! app is available for iOS and Android phones and is free to download, with the service charge paid to the software provider and not the municipality.
Rogers said the app could help driver avoid getting a ticket for expired meters.
“Our (fines) were $10 for an overtime ticket for about 15 years and ... we’re going to increase the overtime ticket to $20,” he said.