Politics & Government

NYC Parking App News is Old-Hat to Port Jefferson

Pilot program on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx follows one already in use in the village.

While news organizations have been reporting on the new parking meter app that New York City unveiled in a pilot program to help out businesses and drivers looking to shop along Bronx’s famed Arthur Avenue, officials in Port Jefferson are probably wondering what took the metropolis so long.

“Once again the small north shore Village of Port Jefferson Long Island leads all of Long Island, New York City and the entire State of New York in implementing new parking technologies,” said Kevin Bates, Port Jefferson Village’s parking administrator in an email to Patch.

Maybe New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was referring to Port Jefferson in his announcement of the program when he spoke about the technology.

Find out what's happening in Port Jeffersonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"It's worked elsewhere and we think it will work here," the Wall Street Journal quoted Bloomberg as saying.

The village instituted its app back in September when it also upgraded the parking meter machines. Over seven months before New York City started a trial of the application, according to Bates.

Find out what's happening in Port Jeffersonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

To pay with a smartphone all people parking in Port Jefferson have to do is scan a QR code on site and put in their car's parking spot number. Those paying by phone will also have the option to call a pay-by-phone number and enter their locations through an automated system. The system will allow you to add money from your phone and lets you know if your time is about to expire.

Click here for more information and to sign up.

According to a report in the Daily News, New York City picked the area to start its pilot program “because the neighborhood, known as the Little Italy of the Bronx, is known as a parking nightmare.”

The village has also been trying to tame its parking problem for years.

“The Village Board of Trustees led by Mayor Margot Garant has been bold and undaunted in their search to address the parking needs of all visitors to the destination of Port Jefferson,” Bates said.

He said that the village was on the precipace of the new innovation to help reveive parking problems.

“The Village Board should be commended for their willingness to invest time and resources in not leading edge but bleeding edge technologies,” he said.


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