City motorists will soon be able to pay for meter parking using their cellphones, even if they’re nowhere near their cars, officials said Thursday.
The ticket-busting system will allow residents in all five boroughs to pay at parking meters using a smartphone app or by dialing a toll-free number.
It’s a planned expansion of a program tested this year in The Bronx.
“Residents and visitors of Arthur Avenue have put this technology to the test, and now the rest of the city is ready and waiting for the expansion of the pay-by-phone technology to reach the city’s 14,000 parking meters,” Mayor Bloomberg said.
“Innovative solutions like these are making it easier for everyone to get around New York City and will be a boost for business across the five boroughs.”
Instead of placing printed receipts on their dashboards, drivers will be able to pay electronically and identify their car’s location by using a set of numbers printed on Muni Meters.
Even better, they don’t have to return to the meter when they need more time — they can just add the money online.
By the time the technology is running in early 2015, all NYPD traffic agents will have handheld readers that can tell whether someone has paid the fees.
“Technology is critical to making daily interactions with government simpler and easier,” NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
The city also released a request Thursday for companies to bid on the project.
A separate pilot program that locates available parking spots is also being prepped for expansion.
Under the system, sensors can detect whether a car is in a parking lane and will relay the information to a central database.
Since much of the city’s traffic is generated by drivers circling in search of a spot, the system is expected reduce congestion, as well as shorten parking times.
The city Department of Transportation also expanded its PARK Smart program, which frees up parking by imposing higher rates during busier times.