MBTA: Faster, Easier Parking

The MBTA today announced a simpler system for parking lot payments that will allow everyone from daily commuters to visitors to use their mobile phones and an online account to pay for parking at MBTA lots.

Beginning July 23rd, customers parking in MBTA-owned and operated lots with existing cash honor boxes will be able to pay for parking online or via phone while in their cars or once they board a train, bus, or commuter boat. 

As part of a new partnership with Parkmobile USA, customers can visit www.parkmobile.com and enroll in the new program for free, and have access to their on-line accounts 24 hours a day/7 days a week. T riders can also download a mobile app.

Once registered, customers can use the mobile app, the internet, a text message or a phone call to pay for parking. TTY service is also available. The phone number will be displayed on signs at MBTA parking facilities.

The new service will be available for 23,733 parking spaces at nearly 70 MBTA-owned lots with existing cash honor boxes. In the weeks and months to follow, the T will work to expand the new system to lots that are not operated by the MBTA.  Only two U.S. transit systems offer more parking spaces than the MBTA.  Informational signs will be posted over the next few weeks to inform T customers about the change in service. For MBTA news and updates visit MBTA on the web.

Comments

[Rudyanta]

Danny, good points both. My reoctleclion is that a few of the projects attempted to divide the numbers between two lines at each of the transfer stations, but I'm not sure how. Perhaps a ratio can be guessed by looking at the total boardings on each line at other stations. The T does report numbers of total riders on each line somewhat regularly, that is, unlinked trips (if I remember the term correctly) where, say, a rider coming from the airport on the Silver Line and transferring to the Red Line will count toward both. I don't know the methodology behind that sort of count, although I have also seen a diagram of transfer counts at the downtown stations—something I'll likely link to on this blog before long.The Red Sox games are indeed very noticeable in the data here, and it would indeed be interesting to see a baseline day, although it's a fair point that there is always something happening. With that thought in mind, given something like a whole year's worth of data it would be a fun exercise to watch all the little spikes and try to identify what they are. Sports games are easy, but I bet some events would be more of a challenge. Anyway, I'm told it may be possible for more data like this to be released, so maybe eventually someone can plug in a non-Sox day to one of these visualizations.

[mbt walking shoes]

The MBTA today announced a simpler system for parking lot payments that will allow everyone from daily commuters to visitors to use their mobile phones and an online account to pay for parking at MBTA lots.

[动感超人]

Great articles and it's so helpful.

[Alan]

Ray Y, it's indeed quite a convenience to have this now, I've been using the pilot program on the Old Colony line and it's so nice to not have to remember cash, get exact change or be on the train and 5 minutes later remember you had forgotten to put money in... the new service negates all that and also provides online receipt and verification of payments so you don't have to worry if the local parking lot vendor has ripped you off or not (I've had this happen with cash)

Joe, maybe when the day ever comes that they tie in the parking garages with FastLane transponders? Also not everyone parks on a daily basis and you wouldn't believe how convenient this new service now is.

[Online Auction]

It seems interesting to me too, Social.

[Social Networking]

This blog is really interesting, I love it.

[Ray Y]

Awesome! This sounds like a great idea. I must applaud the MBTA for recently making the T more accessible & convenient for drivers--and bikers with the recent new bike cages. I'm sure that many people own a mobile phone and will most likely join this program to save the time and hassle of having to pull out bills and coins. Something else everyone wants to save is money--I recently learned about saving up to 40% on my commuter with commuter benefits through my employer. Check out www.commuternation.com. There'll be a sweepstakes starting in July where you can win up to 2 months of free parking!

[Joe]

Why don't you just allow riders to purchase a monthly or yearly parking pass? That way, you wouldn't have to share revenue with www.parkmobile.com and I'm guessing it would probably increase your revenue stream. As a rider, I wouldn't need to be bothered with remembering my spot #. A win-win.