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Taking St. John's PayByPhone parking for a test drive

It’s been a week since St. John’s launched its new parking system on Harbour Drive. Instead of feeding the meter, drivers pay using an app, or by calling a toll-free number.

More than 350 people have used the new parking app, with only a few complaints

Zach Goudie · CBC News ·
To park on Harbour Drive, you now need to use the PayByPhone app, or call a toll-free number. (Gary Locke/CBC)

One week after St. John's launched its new PayByPhone parking system on Harbour Drive, the city says it has received just a handful of complaints.

Instead of feeding the meter, drivers now pay using the PayByPhone app, or by calling a toll-free number.

Andrea Efford says the app is a big improvement.

"It's actually best kind, because I work in a restaurant and I'm a bartender. So it makes it really hard for me to actually get out and pay my meter." Efford said.

"It actually sends you a text five minutes prior, gives me a heads up to just go on there and up my time."

Restaurant worker Andrea Efford says the PayByPhone app is a big improvement over feeding the meter. (Gary Locke/CBC)

One issue is the time it takes to set-up the app. A CBC reporter managed to download the app, create a new account, and pay for parking in about five minutes. But doing it in a hurry could be trickier.

"I'm pretty good with technology." said Ryan Quinlan, as he fiddled with the app. "But right now it's like, I'm trying to figure this out, I've got a hair appointment to get to, and it's a bit of a time crunch."

Ryan Quinlan was in a hurry as he tried to use the Pay-by-Phone app for the first time. To make life easier, you can setup an account on the app before trying to park on Harbour Drive. (Gary Locke/CBC)

So far, more than 350 people have signed up for the app.

City Councillor Debbie Hanlon, who chairs the city's transportation committee, said there are other places to park for people who don't like the new system.

"It's only 136 spaces here along the harbourfront. There's over 600 meter spaces, and I think 200 parking spaces in the garage (at 351 Water Street), so there's 800 spaces down here besides this particular location."

City Councillor Debbie Hanlon is chair of St. John's Transportation Committee. (Gary Locke/CBC)

The city is piloting the app on Harbour Drive for a year, but may expand it to other areas before then. In some areas, the city will retain existing meters but give drivers the option of using the app.

Hanlon says this plan was in place before the problem of meters being destroyed or vandalised reached crisis levels.

As for older drivers, Hanlon said it's a mistake to assume they won't be comfortable with the app.

"My mom is 76, and she had no trouble downloading the app." she said. "In fact, she was offended that I thought she wouldn't be able to do it!"

You can download the PayByPhone app through Apple's App Store or Google Play.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zach Goudie

Zach Goudie is a journalist and video producer based in St. John's. His career with CBC spans more than twenty years. Email: [email protected]

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