Newport residents and visitors have a new way to pay for parking as the City of Newport on Monday announced that the debut of a new citywide contactless mobile payment application.
The new Passport Parking App, which is set to be rolled out later this week, allows users to conveniently pay for and monitor their parking sessions directly from their smartphones.
Residents are encouraged to download the free app via the City’s website at www.CityofNewport.com/Parking or by searching for the Passport App on their mobile device’s app store. Once the application is downloaded, users are asked to create an account, select the zone number that is posted on nearby signage and enter the vehicle license plate number. Users can then view their parking history and extend their sessions with the tap of a button.
“Offering Passport Parking empowers our residents and visitors with more payment options,” said City Manager Joseph J. Nicholson, Jr. “Our hope is that by making parking easier, people will be able to spend less time worrying about their vehicle and more time enjoying the city’s restaurants, shops, and open space.”
Passport Parking is widely used in other cities across the Northeast region, including Providence, Cambridge, Mass. and Boston, Mass.
“Introducing Passport Parking to its residents and many Summer visitors is an exciting leap for the City of Newport,” said Passport sales executive, Mollie Bolin. “We look forward to growing our partnership with the city and continuing to support them with Passport’s secure technology.”
The application is the latest effort by the City to modernize its parking infrastructure by adopting more user-oriented technology. Earlier this summer, Easton’s Beach introduced new self-serve parking stations following a successful pilot program at the City’s downtown parking lots.
To pay to park, drivers can download the free Passport Parking app from the App Store and Google Play. Users can also manage their parking online at passportparking.com.
