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But this means you need to require anyone who wants to park must 1. have a smart phone of the appropriate type and 2. be comfortable installing an app (possibly

But this means you need to require anyone who wants to park must 1. have a smart phone of the appropriate type and 2. be comfortable installing an app (possibly one they only just now found out about and haven't had time to research). Since clearly this isn't reasonable, you'll still need to have those paystations (though less of them?)

emptybits 4y ago
Nope. IVR (voice & touch tones) has always been an option. i.e. "Enter the location number on the sign. Enter how many minutes you wish to park for." We invested a lot to ensure dumbphone compatibility. Some say it's faster than an app.
- RHSeeger 4y ago
  Ah, I wasn't aware of this. I don't know that I've ever seen it, but I appreciate that it does exist. Kudos for putting the thought, time, and effort into handling that case.
- Nextgrid 4y ago
  The IVR sounds like a much nicer experience than what you currently have on the web.
- danbolt 4y ago
  As a Vancouver resident, it’s always a bit of a relief when you notice the green dots on the meter and don’t have to fiddle with a credit card machine.
jakewins 4y ago
These pay-by-app parking setups are everywhere in Sweden, each parking owner has their own app, so you run around with a dozen shady parking apps on your phone. It seems that is now being replaced by the app being optional - if you don’t do anything and just park and leave, you get a bill in the mail for the time your car was parked, based on license plate recognition. No signups, no parking tickets, just park and leave.
- emptybits 4y ago
  > if you don’t do anything and just park and leave, you get a bill in the mail for the time your car was parked, based on license plate recognition. No signups, no parking tickets, just park and leave I like this. It's civilized. As I said, the best interaction today could be no interaction. One way or another, convenience means you're probably trusting someone with information and linking it to an account or address or payment mechanism. For city governments, maybe this is okay. For commercial destinations and sketchy parking operators ... maybe not.
- Nextgrid 4y ago
  I wouldn't be surprised if some parking operations factor in a certain percentage of fines into their revenue model so that making everyone pay (and thus no more fines) would actually decrease their profits.

emptybits 4y ago

Nope. IVR (voice & touch tones) has always been an option. i.e. "Enter the location number on the sign. Enter how many minutes you wish to park for." We invested a lot to ensure dumbphone compatibility. Some say it's faster than an app.

RHSeeger 4y ago
Ah, I wasn't aware of this. I don't know that I've ever seen it, but I appreciate that it does exist. Kudos for putting the thought, time, and effort into handling that case.
Nextgrid 4y ago
The IVR sounds like a much nicer experience than what you currently have on the web.
danbolt 4y ago
As a Vancouver resident, it’s always a bit of a relief when you notice the green dots on the meter and don’t have to fiddle with a credit card machine.

jakewins 4y ago

These pay-by-app parking setups are everywhere in Sweden, each parking owner has their own app, so you run around with a dozen shady parking apps on your phone. It seems that is now being replaced by the app being optional - if you don’t do anything and just park and leave, you get a bill in the mail for the time your car was parked, based on license plate recognition. No signups, no parking tickets, just park and leave.

emptybits 4y ago
> if you don’t do anything and just park and leave, you get a bill in the mail for the time your car was parked, based on license plate recognition. No signups, no parking tickets, just park and leave I like this. It's civilized. As I said, the best interaction today could be no interaction. One way or another, convenience means you're probably trusting someone with information and linking it to an account or address or payment mechanism. For city governments, maybe this is okay. For commercial destinations and sketchy parking operators ... maybe not.
Nextgrid 4y ago
I wouldn't be surprised if some parking operations factor in a certain percentage of fines into their revenue model so that making everyone pay (and thus no more fines) would actually decrease their profits.