Anyone who has driven a car in an urban city can attest to the frustrations of street parking. We have all made circles around our destination, slowly weaving through traffic as we keep an eye out for an available parking spot. Once parked, there’s still the matter of searching pockets, wallets, and car crevices alike to find the adequate amount of change to pay for our spot, only to have to repeat the entire ordeal two hours later.
Parkmobile entered the scene to revolutionize the entire process. By applying mobile payment technology to parking, it established a modern day approach to an antiquated procedure.
The reception from drivers has been more than enthusiastic. Parkmobile’s user base rapidly expanded to include almost 4 million U.S. users in 1,400 locations. It has been adopted by city after city across the nation, responding to strong consumer demand.
Parkmobile has continued to upgrade its mobile technology, transforming into the go-to app for all of your parking needs. Its mobile payment system already works with established engines that accept debit and credit, as well as with emerging payment systems like PayPal and VISA Checkout. Soon, Parkmobile technology will also include the services of Google Wallet and others.
The company’s user-base can also anticipate the addition of recently acquired ParkNow and Click and Park’s services, meaning drivers will soon be able to find, reserve, and pay for parking all with one app. Drivers’ schedules no longer need to be tied down by parking restrictions and a fear of late fees.
Recently, the company behind the app decided to take things even a step further by integrating its technological solutions into wearables and car platforms creating “connected cars”, effectively allowing parking to be located and paid for through software in the car, all without using a mobile device.
The impact of Parkmobile extends far beyond consumer convenience. Several studies have shown that 30% of urban congestion is caused by drivers who are cruising to look for available parking. With geo-location technology and a parking space inventory that will include 2.7 million parking spots by the end of this year, the app removes traffic-causing practice and effectively helps cities optimize the usage of all of their parking spots. In Los Angeles initial survey results already show high single digit reductions of congestion—an impressive statistic in a city known for its slow traffic.
The services and success of Parkmobile reflect the future of driving and parking. It has established a cashless payment system that removes a large portion of the headache that comes with driving in a city, and its growing user base will motivate Parkmobile to continuously seek ways to streamline the system.
Laurens Eckelboom is the executive vice president for business development and strategic initiatves at Parkmobile.
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