So When’s That PPA MeterUp App Rolling Out Citywide?

The Philadelphia Parking Authority and its parking app vendor partner Pango spent an hour at lunchtime today fielding questions on Twitter about the new “meterUP” smartphone app, currently in demonstration mode.

Judging from the questions the PPA and Pango staff got, the demonstration is going swimmingly and parkers can’t wait to use the app citywide.

Most of the questions tweeted during the online chat session were of a technical nature: Can I use the app without a smartphone? (Yes. There’s a phone number you can call for guidance: 1-844-METERUP [638-3787].) Can out-of-staters use it? (Again, yes. Just make sure you enter your full license plate number when registering your car.) Can I register more than one car? (Yes. Be sure to pick the right car when you pay for your space, though.)

The biggest non-technical question? “When do you plan to take this citywide?” Here the PPA proved super-responsive: “We’re anticipating to roll out meterUP citywide by early to mid-spring 2016.

For those keeping score, that’s right around the time SEPTA says it will take the first baby steps towards rolling out its SEPTA Key payment technology. At least one satisfied meterUP user wondered whether the app would be integrated with SEPTA and city-run parking lots like those at the stadiums. That question went unanswered.

As did this one:

@PhilaParking Why meter-up so important when cyclists’ lives R put in jeopardy every minute by your refusal 2 get cars out of bike lanes?

— June Cleaver Not (@fossilfuelNOT) January 7, 2016

The PPA did say they were taking questions about meterUP, not tow trucks, though.

If you’d like to give meterUP a try but don’t know where you can use it, the PPA has a map for that. It has several others that might be useful as well linked from its blog.

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