Drivers who park their vehicles in Lake Geneva will soon be able to use their smart phones to extend the time on their parking meters.
Digital Payment Technologies (DPT) today announced the deployment of 61 LUKE II multi-space parking pay stations in the city of Lake Geneva. The high-tech, solar-powered parking pay stations are expected to be active the first of June and will replace 965 single-head meters and will operate in a Pay-by-Space (PBS) mode.
The new pay stations also allow consumers to purchase beach passes and boat launch permits, and give them the option to extend their parking time via text message (SMS) without having to create an account.
With the Extend-by-Phone capabilities, consumers paying with a credit or debit card at the pay station will be prompted to leave a phone number, which gives them the option to extend their parking session later. When their parking time is almost up, they will receive a text message asking if they’d like to extend the session, and by how much time.
Consumers respond to the text with the amount of time to add, and it is automatically charged to the card they used to make the initial purchase at the pay station.
“As a tourist destination, we needed a parking system that was easy to use and let us manage more than just parking permits,” said Dennis Jordan, city administrator for Lake Geneva. “With the ability to extend time via phone and purchase beach passes and boat launch permits at the parking meter, we are providing our visitors with the most convenient parking experience possible.”
“With a simple text message, Extend-by-Phone removes the anxiety people used to feel about getting back to their car before a parking session expires,” said Alan Menezes, vice president of product management and marketing at Digital Payment Technologies. “Not only is this more convenient for consumers, but the city can better ensure compliance with its parking policy.”
The EMS gives city officials real-time insight into the operational status of the pay stations, as well as detailed reporting on revenues that have been generated. The pay stations are installed and will be maintained by Automated Parking Technologies (APT).
