Providence Launches New Parking App

People parking in the state’s capital city won’t have to wait to pay for parking, come running back to feed the meter, or look for loose change.

Though, there is a 15-cent convenience fee added on to all mobile transactions.

So far, six streets in the Providence area now take payments from the mobile app, which is called Passport Parking.

Those spots are marked by Passport Parking signs, with a “zone code” for users to put into the cell phone.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza said it is a way for the city to be more convenient to visitors and residents.

“This is about making the city one of the most innovative in the country,” Elorza said on Tuesday.

Providence is following cities like Boston, Chicago, and Portland, as those areas are already adopting the same program.

Once the app is installed, the program asks the user to fill out information. Then, it’s all set.

“We want to make it as convenient as possible for you,” said Elorza. “Let’s say you’re having dinner and you realize the time on your meter has expired. Well, you can just go on your phone, punch a few buttons, and re-up and re-fuel, so to speak.”

The Passport Parking app will soon come to South Main and South Water Street next. There are plans to bring it to Federal Hill, too.

Once it’s fully launched during the summer, there will be a few thousand parking spots in Providence that will be able to take payment from cell phones.

The app itself is free to download for Apple and Android devices.