PPA's new app allows you to pay meter from your phone

CENTER CITY (WPVI) -- Philadelphia drivers know all too well parking in the city can be tough and costly. But now the Philadelphia Parking Authority is going high tech, to give drivers a new way to pay for parking, and hopefully cut back on tickets and towing.

Starting Thursday motorists parking at kiosks or meters in Center City will be able to take care of feeding the meter with their iPhone or Android through a new pay by phone parking app.

The app will allow drivers to pay for parking with their smart phone and electronically add more time while away from their parked vehicle.

The app excites Nicole Anderson of Perkasie, who works as a traveling saleswoman. She tells us, "I work as a travelling sales rep, so to keep a hold of that and manage that via my phone would be absolutely wonderful."

On Tuesday morning the Philadelphia Parking Authority briefed the media on this new technology that launches Thursday with a 6-month pilot program.

MeterUP will launch Thursday in four pilot zones for six months. They are bound by 4th and 20th streets and Arch and Locust, Columbus Boulevard from Spring Garden to Race Street, the Torresdale train station, and the Parking Authority's 8th and Chestnut parking lot. Then after the six month launch, this pay by phone plan will go citywide at 16,000 meters and kiosks across Philadelphia.

Vince Finnerty from the Philadelphia Parking Authority says, "It's new technology that's been utilized in other cities and we've had this designed specifically for Philadelphia - Philadelphia's business districts and the neighborhoods."

The app will notify you seven minutes before your meter is set to run out, and will provide an option to extend the time on your phone.

One drawback is, if you extend beyond the 2-hour limit the price rises.

Sue Cornell of the PPA explains, "You can hit extend, but the rate then is going to change. It's going to be double the initial rate."

Despite the new technology, you can still pay with cash or coins like you have in the past.