Additional mobile-only parking meters may be headed for Iowa City.
The Iowa City City Council voted to amend the city’s code to allow expanded use of mobile-payment-only parking lots at city-owned properties.
The first reading was approved in a unanimous decision at the Tuesday, June 17, city council meeting, after the city reported success from a test run in the Burlington Street parking lot.
What parking lots in Iowa City will be mobile payment-only?
Iowa City Transportation Services Director Darian Nagle-Gamm said the plan is to expand mobile-payment-only to city-owned and operated lots at Market Street, Schumann, and Maiden Lane.
Nagle-Gamm said mobile payment systems are much less costly for the city to maintain and, with near-universal cell phone adoption, modernize city parking operations. Currently, mobile payments account for 65% of metered parking transactions, according to the city.
The cost of maintaining metered parking lots is upwards of $30,000 per year, according to a city memo, requiring 600 staff hours per year. Metered parking lots account for 20% of the city’s metered parking system, bringing in 15% of the revenue.
Mobile payment options for parking include the ParkMobile app, texting or scanning a QR code to get a link to the payment website, or calling a number to pay.
Liam Halawith covers Johnson County local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. Reach him by email at lhalawith@registermedia.com. Follow him on X at @liam_halawith.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City expands mobile-only parking lots in an effort to modernize
Reporting by Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen | USA TODAY Network
