Parking App Lets Drivers Pay Via Cell Phone

Starting Tuesday, the app can only be used at meters in the West Loop, along Madison and Monroe

Paying the parking meter and displaying a receipt in your car window will soon be a thing of the past.

A new app called "Park Chicago" allows you to pay for parking with a couple of taps on your smartphone.

Starting Tuesday, the app can only be used at meters in the West Loop, along Madison and Monroe, but it will expand to the rest of the city's 36,000 metered spots by the end of summer.

Users pre-load the app with at least $20 to get started and subtracts the parking fees from the account once you input your license plate number and parking zone.

The app will charge an additional 35 cents if you park for less than two hours, but advantages include a countdown on your phone that alerts you to how much time is left on your meter and it also allows you to add additional time from your phone.

The pay-by-phone option is part of the renegotiated agreement of the city's controversial parking meter deal. Numbered signs will be placed near meter boxes that offer the option.

The app is available for both Apple and Android phones.

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