The City of Columbus has rolled out a mobile payment option for parking meters in the Short North. New stickers, directing people to download an app called ParkColumbus, have been placed on about 600 parking meters in the neighborhood
To pay for parking using the app, users will need to enter the zone number posted on the sticker, select a duration and click on the “start parking” button. The app will send an alert when the time on the meter is about to expire.
“As a smart city, Columbus is always looking for innovative ways to alleviate traffic congestion and improve the parking experience,” said Robert Ferrin, the city’s Assistant Director for Parking Services, in a press release. “This new ParkColumbus app gives people an easy way to pay so they can skip the meter and instead pay with their phone.”
Pay-by-phone will also be available on streets designated as mobile payment-only, starting on January 22. That’s the day that the long-awaited Short North Parking Plan is set to be rolled out, and when the temporary wrapping that is covering new parking signs around the neighborhood will be removed.
Residents can purchase guest passes through the app or at parkcolumbus.com.
The new payment option will not be limited to the Short North – starting in late 2019, according to the press release, mobile payment will be added to each of the 4,500 parking meters and kiosks in the city.
For more information on the Short North Parking Plan, visit www.columbus.gov.
