Parkmobile, a pay-by-phone parking application for smartphones, has partnered with Parking and Transit to bring the technology to all four ASU campuses.(Photo by Alexis Macklin)
By way of placards fastened to lampposts and stickers adhered to automated pay stations, the eye-catching green signature of Parkmobile, a pay-by-phone parking application for smartphones, has begun to establish itself in more than 70 of ASU’s visitor parking lots.
Parkmobile, a national enterprise whose services are widely available outside of ASU, recently teamed up with Parking and Transit Services to bring new parking technology to Sun Devils across all four campuses.
On Jan. 27, ASU Parking and Transit Services announced the app’s on-campus debut via Twitter.
“Pay-by-phone visitor parking is here! Download the Parkmobile app today and pay for parking from wherever you are,” it said, alluding to the app’s defining characteristic: It allows users to purchase parking regardless of their distance from in-lot payment machines.
Parkmobile is free to download on Apple and Android devices, and though users have to create an account, signing up for the service is simple and straightforward.
Parkmobile representative Tina Dyer said via email that this new technology is also practically eliminating the need for parking receipts.
“The enforcement officers enforce the new system with web-enabled handheld devices that show them all the real-time Parkmobile transactions in any one particular zone that they are enforcing," she said. "They have the ability to see paid parking transactions through Parkmobile."
All Parkmobile signage found within ASU’s visitor parking lots is adorned with a boldface series of digits that represent the zone number of a given lot. To start a parking transaction via the Parkmobile app, the person simply has to key in the zone number, select a car stall number and the amount of time they intend to be parked there and then confirm the lease by pressing the button that says “Start.”
According to Parkmobile's terms and conditions, the net cost of parking via Parkmobile costs slightly more than paying for parking through an in-lot payment machine. There is a processing fee that accompanies each payment executed through the app and costs approximately $0.35 per transaction.
The amount of time left on a virtual parking meter can be found at any time by viewing the Parkmobile “Sessions” option, and the application is automatically set to send a notification text message 15 minutes before a transaction expires.
Some user experiences suggest that the service may sometimes encounter technical difficulties in the sign-up process, however.
Human nutrition and global health senior Rhiawna Samudio said signing up for the app is not as easy as it initially seems.
“I’ve tried (to download the app), but I haven’t been able to successfully download it or use it," she said.
Reach the reporter at megann.phillips@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @megannphillips
