Oak Park Approves Pay by Phone Parking Agreement

Village officials Monday approved an agreement to offer pay-by-phone parking that will allow customers to use a mobile app to pay for—and add time to—public parking in Oak Park.

The village solicited requests for proposals for the service at the end of 2012, and chose Passport Parking from the two vendors that responded. Passport Parking allows users to pay for parking with their phone for a convenience fee of 35 cents per transaction. The second vendor offered a service that would cost users 40 to 50 cents per transaction, according to a village staff memo. 

Keep up with Oak Park news: Sign up for our free email newsletter. Then like us on Facebook for a slightly different take. 

Customers would download an app the first time they use the service and create a PIN to use in all future transactions.  

The service will also send customers an alert when their time is about to expire and allow them to add time from their phone. 

The village will need to spend $1,500 on parking enforcement equipment a $900 monthly service fee and about $2,000 in signage costs for the program, but revenue generated from the service should offset the expense, according to the memo.

Oak Park businesses can also offer parking validation or discounts through the service, Jill Velan, interim manager for parking and mobility services in Oak Park told village trustees at a July board meeting.

The service has been implemented in neighboring communities including Glenview, Brookfield and Downers Grove. 

Oak Park's agreement with Passport Parking expires December 31, 2015.

Read more about the program: Oak Park to Offer 'Pay by Phone' Parking"