ParkMobile offers students a fast alternative for daily parking permits.
Courtesy of ParkMobile
By Sofía García Vargas
Nothing is as stressful as running late for class, forgetting to buy a parking pass and running up and down the garage stairs to the first-floor kiosk. However, with the ParkMobile app that hassle is over.
ParkMobile is now available as an alternate payment option for daily parking permits at USF St. Petersburg.
According to a USF press release, ParkMobile is an app that “facilitates payment for parking via cell, phone, toll-free phone number or the web.”
Locals are no strangers to the app as St. Petersburg offers this service at most of its street parking meters.
USF St. Petersburg Manager of Parking Services Randy Pogue said the campus community will benefit from the new addition by “allowing visitors and guests to USF a hands-free option to purchase parking permits.”
“No more stopping at the two parking kiosks to purchase and display a permit,” Pogue said.
Each parking lot on campus has its own ParkMobile zone number, only available to use in green-designated parking areas.
Pogue also said the community response has been positive thus far in an email to The Crow’s Nest.
Digital journalism and media studies junior Ashley George said the app can be very convenient for students.
“I think anything that has the potential to make things easier for us is nice,” George said.
Future plans regarding new and better ways to park at the campus are forthcoming, according to Pogue.
Thirty to 50 green permit parking spaces might be added thanks to Parking Services and Planning and Construction bidding out a resurfacing project for the area south of the Warehouse Lab.
USF St. Petersburg Parking Services also plans to implement a License Plate Recognition (LPR) system, a platform applied at the Tampa campus at the start of the school year.
“We are hopeful to have this rolled out in August 2022,” Pogue said. “The LPR system alleviates the issuance of a physical permit. The LPR vehicle will scan the plates and the database can recognize if the plate/vehicle has a valid permit.”
To use the payment method, users can visit ParkMobile.io, download the mobile app or call the toll-free number on the ParkMobile sign near the parking garage elevators (866)-727-5312 to register for a ParkMobile account. New users must provide their license plate number and a method of payment to register.
