Like most people in Toronto I have no issues paying for parking when I can find it. The whole process of locating a spot, making sure you enter in enough time, and then remembering to top up if your appointment runs late, is very tedious. I don’t get many parking tickets but when I do it is always because I am a few minutes late back to my car. So when I heard that the Toronto Parking Authority had rolled out a new mobile pay app for your phone I was anxious to give it a try.
How does the Green P Parking App Work?
First thing’s first you have to download the free app to your phone and then enter in your cell number for verification. Simple enough. The Green P Mobile Pay App is currently available for iPhone and Android users. BlackBerry users can also use the app via a browser, but I suspect the user experience won’t be quite as good as the dedicated app.
Each parking station will have a 3-digit location ID displayed that you’ll enter into the phone. It looks like the locations are currently restricted to various pay lots across the city but it’s my understanding that it will be rolled out to Green P street parking very shortly. You’ll also enter in your license plate number as well as the amount of time you’d like to park. Parking enforcement officers are equipped with machines that they will check to see if the car/driver has paid for parking. No more fines due to the parking receipt not being visible.
And finally yes, you have to pay. The first time you use the app you’ll have to add funds to your account and then pay from those funds. While some may find it hard to understand why you have to add funds it probably has to do with reducing the number of credit card transactions on the system. You can store various payment methods and vehicles so the next time out you will not have to enter in as much information and can go about your day.
It’s a time-saver!
The Green P Parking App has saved me quite a bit of time already. For instance, at a recent Toronto sporting event I paid for parking in about 30 seconds instead of waiting behind others in line at the machine. I am emailed the receipt automatically which allows me to go paperless. And the best part about the whole thing is that I won’t get any more tickets for expired time as the app will actually notify you 10 minutes before expiry so you can either top up the amount of time you have or you can go back to your car and leave.
Final Thoughts
Overall I think the Green P Parking App is fantastic and it has been working great for me so far. I realize that technology can get in the way of real life sometimes but when it saves you time and money that can be used on other things then I think we should embrace it. Kudos to the Toronto Parking Authority for rolling it out.
Pros
- Super Easy to set up.
- Allows you to pay for parking without waiting in line at the machine.
- Will notify you when time is about to expire.
- Can get a summary online of your parking history.
- Receipts are emailed for paperless filing.
Cons
- Notification is currently restricted to 10 minutes. I set up my own alarm to counter this issue.
- Not rolled out to all Green P locations… yet!
Call Richard Robibero at 416-277-8025 if you want an experienced Realtor who can help you buy or sell your home quickly… and insight into the best parking spots in the GTA!