March 05, 2015
Matt Rourke/AP
A member of the Philadelphia Parking Authority writes a ticket for an expired meter in Center City.
Pay-by-phone parking could soon be making its way to the city under a plan by the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA).
The PPA is accepting proposals through March 30 from interested vendors for a complete mobile parking payment system option for "all current and planned on-street and designated off-street paid parking areas" in the city.
The plan would allow drivers to pay for a specific period of parking time by dialing an interactive voice system, visiting a website or using a PPA mobile app.
Under the plan's first phase, the system must undergo a six-month testing period conducted in the Center City core area and two parking lots.
The core area is bound by 4th and 20th streets and Arch and Locust streets and includes Delaware Avenue from Spring Garden Street to Race Street. It encompasses approximately 1,775 paid parking spaces at a $3-per-hour parking rate.
The 801 Chestnut St. lot with 110 spaces and the Torresdale Rail Station lot with 318 spaces are also included in the first phase of testing.
The PPA is encouraging vendors to provide payment options through QR codes and other payment formats such as PayPal, Google Wallet and Apple Pay.
The winning vendor will be selected on April 30.
You can access the PPA's full plan and Request for Proposals here.
