Parking in Detroit - Easy to Use and Making Money for City

[Lowell]

More good Detroit news. I'm the type who doesn't mind paying for parking, I just don't like it to be a frustrating ordeal -- fumbling for coins, putting a quarter in a meter and watching it fail to register any time and sweating about how much time I have left.

It's great now. In 20 seconds I am paid and on my way before I even leave my car.

The arrival of the kiosk / mobile app has ended that and cleared the sidewalks of a clutter of broken parking meters. For those not familiar, here's how it works.

1. Note the sign telling you your zone number. A picture of what a sign looks appears below.
2. Open the Detroit Parking App on your smart phone, a quick download if you don't have it yet, and enter the zone number.
3. Choose which car and license number you are using. You set these up once and can have several cars listed if needed.
4. Choose how much time you want to buy.
5. Choose which credit card to use and make payment. Again this is a one time set up allowing you to have multiple cards, say business and personal, available.
6. Set alerts for when you want to be reminded your time is getting short.

The countdown clock starts running and a receipt is emailed to you.

Of course there is still the kiosk where one can pay by cash or credit but it is clunky, time consuming and you have to remember your plate number - and they can break down too. Still it's far better than the old meters.

According to this Freep article the new system is making money for the city even though ticket revenue is down largely, I believe, because the app alert system allows one avoid overage and/or buy more time. Maintenance costs are down and parking collections are way up.

[Bobl]

I was skeptical when this was announced and posted a thread here. The last group of "state of the art" meters failed miserably. Glad to see here, and hear from acqaintances, that the new system is working. I am an old curmudgeon, burned several times, so I will walk a bit and use cash at the kiosk. The City Of Detroit will not get my credit card number. Parked for free Sunday, for the Jazz Festival.

[cassique]

The app is the best thing ever. Extremely convenient however wish they would have gone to Parkmobile which is used in many communities across the US. Was just in Delaware this past weekend and was able to use it. Nice to not need multiple app's to accomplish the same thing. Regardless I like the ability to just pay and have it hooked to your credit card.

[drjeff]

This parking system is the best I've used in any city. It's so easy.

[belleislerunner]

I never thought I'd say it - but I too love Detroit's new parking meters and the smart app. It saves your license plate and credit card so you don't have to remember it - and you can move within a zone without paying twice. For example, if you park outside Shinola and pay - you can move your car over to Cass and grab some mac and cheeze at Sweet Lorraine's without having to pay again. Pretty awesome. The only downside is you can't renew your parking until it expires [[e.g. if you pay for two hours outside Punch Bowl) - you have to wait until it expires - which you instantly get notified of - and then you can instantly get a "new" reservation without having to leave Punch Bowl. Pretty convenient.

[corktownyuppie]

Agreed. Properly deployed technology is going to be such a game changer for the city. I've never objected to paying them...just don't make it next to impossible with broken meters, meters that only take cash [[or only coins?!)

This is another major change with DWSD...a few years ago they made it possible for anyone with an account number to make payments online via credit or debit card. Sounds like it should be a no-brainer, but when you have a shutoff notice and have to run a payment down to DWSD, and then are told that they don't take credit card or check -- only money order or cash...it's like, SERIOUSLY, I AM JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU MY MONEY WHY ARE YOU MAKING IT SO GODDAMN HARD.

Honestly, I don't even mind if they wanna charge me the 3% convenience fee that they lose to the credit card company. When I owe $200 and your asking if I would rather pay $6 in convenience fee rather than go to one location to purchase a money order and then to a second location to deliver that money order....what the hell?

This is not that much different from taxi services here in the city. Although I use Lyft and Uber religiously, I am not opposed to cabs. But Jesus, don't make it next-to-impossible to order one, next-to-impossible to make them charge you correctly, and next-to-impossible to pay them.

When you consider that we've been stuck with 1950s-level service quality since the 1950s, it makes me wonder why some people have to be dragged to the future, kicking and screaming.

[SpartanDawg]

The app is the best thing ever. Extremely convenient however wish they would have gone to Parkmobile which is used in many communities across the US. Was just in Delaware this past weekend and was able to use it. Nice to not need multiple app's to accomplish the same thing. Regardless I like the ability to just pay and have it hooked to your credit card.

many large cities [[i.e. chicago i believe) have made their own payment apps for the smartphones. this is a smart move as it cuts out the middle man and improves their profits

[BankruptcyGuy]

many large cities [[i.e. chicago i believe) have made their own payment apps for the smartphones. this is a smart move as it cuts out the middle man and improves their profits

Chicago didn't make their own system. Chicago sold off the rights to parking meter revenue long ago.

Yes, this is what a competent Detroit government looks like. We should be proud and expect more like this going forward.

Next up: property tax collections.

[Ray1936]

I used to chuckle at the parking problem back east, as there was free covered parking everywhere here in Las Vegas. But then, the MGM group of casinos had some MBA decide to charge ten bucks a day for resort parking, and the others are studying the plan. Needless to say, locals here no longer patronize the MGM group.

[erikd]

Yes, this is what a competent Detroit government looks like. We should be proud and expect more like this going forward.

It is really nice to see city government starting to work properly. It really makes a difference in the daily quality of life.

[Wesley Mouch]

Chicago didn't make their own system. Chicago sold off the rights to parking meter revenue long ago.

Yes, this is what a competent Detroit government looks like. We should be proud and expect more like this going forward.

Next up: property tax collections.

I doubt anyone is making their own system these days. I hope Detroit is using a standardized software platform that is 'branded' for Detroit.

These days, almost nobody makes their own software from scratch for routine operations. Parking software is undoubtedly a huge market, and served by companies like SAP, IBM, etc.

Since this systems seems to work well, you can bet that it wasn't written by a couple of caffeine addicted geeks in a basement office at the CAY building.

[MSUguy]

It's not custom, Passport is the company that makes app they do the same Chicago, Boston and other cities.

https://passportinc.com

[ABetterDetroit]

Next up: property tax collections.

How can they collect when they can't even assess accurately AND have a reasonable system to challenge and arbitrate the assessment?

Of course that smooth running system was handed to us by the same people who thought it was a good idea to have a 9 figure annual school budget in the city without any audits.

[Scottathew]

Maybe Rochester and Royal Oak can go down to Detroit and take some notes :-)

[Dumpling]

I am happy that everyone likes this parking system and think all payment
systems should be as effortless as possible.
Having said that, I would like to point out that JP Morgan Chase is now the
bank for the City of Detroit. One of the hallmarks of that bank is "improving
back office operations" for their own and for their shareholders' benefit.
There will be more to come.

[Bobl]

I am happy that everyone likes this parking system and think all payment
systems should be as effortless as possible.
Having said that, I would like to point out that JP Morgan Chase is now the
bank for the City of Detroit. One of the hallmarks of that bank is "improving
back office operations" for their own and for their shareholders' benefit.
There will be more to come.

I guess it's a good system, since everyone here and many comments elsewhere are positive. Why are so many permissions required, though? Do Chase or Passport want to troll contacts for customers?

[Honky Tonk]

I guess it's a good system, since everyone here and many comments elsewhere are positive. Why are so many permissions required, though? Does Chase want to troll contacts for customers?

Bingo......

[Bigdd]

I won't park at the new meters. I drive a number of cars and can't remember all the plate numbers, and I don't use a smartphone.

So I'd have to write down or memorize the pate on my car that day,.. if i don;t have a pen,.. perhaps go back to the car to double check I got it right,.. then pay cash or coin [[easy). But then you don't get a receipt. So if you made a mistake on the plate number and get a ticket,.. you don't have any proof that you paid.

Coin meters are nice in that if you need to run in for a minute,.. and there's 10 min left on a meter,.. you don't need to pay. This new system allows the city to steal all of that remaining time.

It amounts to a price hike, AND an invasion of privacy.

If a business in Detroit doesn't have private parking lot or free street parking,.. I simply won't go there. And my business is in Detroit [[where i need to eat lunch every day),.. so that's saying something.

[ekleezy]

It's better than the old system of broken meters, but it's definitely just a better way for the city to make a profit off of parking. They advertised the zones as being great because you can pay and then move within the zone while you still have time left. The problem with that is that you can move one block and it might be a new zone that you have to pay. I agree with a general CBD zone that might cost extra, and then a zone for the surrounding areas that cost a little less. There shouldn't be dozens of different zones though. I wonder how much money the city's made off of typos by people accidentally paying for zone 201 instead of 202 or 202 instead of 203, etc.

[Wesley Mouch]

It's better than the old system of broken meters, but it's definitely just a better way for the city to make a profit off of parking. They advertised the zones as being great because you can pay and then move within the zone while you still have time left. The problem with that is that you can move one block and it might be a new zone that you have to pay. I agree with a general CBD zone that might cost extra, and then a zone for the surrounding areas that cost a little less. There shouldn't be dozens of different zones though. I wonder how much money the city's made off of typos by people accidentally paying for zone 201 instead of 202 or 202 instead of 203, etc.

Given the parking departments history of meter maids fabricating tickets, I agree they should stay simple, at least early one.

Zones make sense, because you do want to discourage longer-term parking near the core. But it must be simple. Red meters, yellow meters, green meters.

[Bobl]

I was admiring the appearance of the renovated Forest Arms Apartments, while at the Dally today, then wondered where all the renters park, now that the parking kiosks are there. This would seem to be a problem throughout the area.

[ekleezy]

I was admiring the appearance of the renovated Forest Arms Apartments, while at the Dally today, then wondered where all the renters park, now that the parking kiosks are there. This would seem to be a problem throughout the area.

I live in the area. They surprised us by installing the meters last thanksgiving. Right away we petitioned against them and they haven't been turned on since. Last I've heard they plan to make some sort of parking permit for residents. Doesn't seem like it's a priority though.

[Dumpling]

Today I stopped by Astro Coffee on Michigan Avenue, first time ever being
there, and purchased a mocha to go. For the first time ever, I used one of
these parking kiosks, and it worked beautifully. I typed in my plate number,
inserted a few quarters, and I was all set. But I had a funny feeling at that
time [[being very familiar with the Dearborn Little Professor parking brouhaha)
that the owners of Astro Coffee would have preferred for there to be
something other than paid parking spaces in front of their shop, and...voila!...
while I was looking up something ELSE for someone, up comes this:

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/det...-parklet-popup

[Neilr]

For several recent years young architects from the firm of Hamilton Anderson have celebrated Park[[ing) Day across from the Boll Family YMCA. Early in the morning they commandeered a parking spot, laid sod, and constructed a mini-park in the parking space. They dutifully fed the meter all day while they camped out and invited passersby to join in.

[Dumpling]

That does look like fun!