Dallas home owners are embracing a new way that they can pay for their parking meters around town. Because of a new program, Dallas drivers can pay for their meters via Smartphones or by making a quick phone call. In a day and age when debit cards and credit cards are so widely accepted, it's common for people to travel without any cash or coins. Incidentally, this new program is bound to be popular with local drivers.
John Crawford, president and CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc., said, “It’s another example of DDI and the city working together to make it easier for people to get around downtown. And it’s another indicator of us becoming a more urban environment. Technology-wise, we’re doing a lot of things to enhance the experience downtown, and that’s a great step in the right direction.”
A new app called PayByPhone has been designed for smartphones, so with a few swipes and clicks, you can be on your way to parking bliss. Those with traditional cell phones can also call a toll-free number to purchase time on most parking meters in the city. The parking meters will continue to accept change for those who prefer to pay the original way. Those interested in paying these ways will need to establish an account and link a major debit or credit card prior to being able to utilize the new system.
Apple, Android and Blackberry phone users can find the PayByPhone app in their respective app stores and download it to their devices. There is also a mobile site that can be accessed from your phone at m.paybyphone.com, and the toll-free number is displayed on parking meters for those who would rather make a quick phone call.
Dallas Home Owners Using Technology
The new service is packed with outstanding features, but perhaps the best of all is a function that will notify drivers via text message if their meter is about to expire. Drivers can easily add more time to their meters directly from their phones.
The City of Dallas says that they started testing this program about two years ago. They are approximately one year behind schedule in getting it up and running, but they say that Dallas home owners will see that about 75 percent of the new meters have already been installed, and the remaining ones will be converted by mid-December.
While most Dallas home owners would prefer for parking meters to go away altogether, city officials say that's just not realistic at this time, especially as the population continues to grow.
Crawford went on to say, “With all the residents we now have downtown and what we’re trying to build retail-wise, we don’t want to fall into the trap of not having parking available. At some point in the future, as the face of downtown changes, we may not have as many cars downtown. But that’s down the road.”
If you would like more information about the Dallas real estate market, please watch our 60-second Dallas real estate market overview. It's packed with information to assist you with your search for the perfect Dallas home.
Comments(1)