Mobile paid parking option gets town council hearing

There was a time when La Conner’s parking problem was inverted to its present situation. When downtown Mount Vernon was lined with clunky parking meters, La Conner had little need for either a paid or timed parking system on First Street.

Many storefronts here were boarded up – some year-round– before La Conner morphed into its present state as a popular destination.

Change has been the defining feature over the course of 50 years.

Now, with seemingly every parking space in the town’s business district contested during peak tourist season, the time for paid parking has perhaps arrived.

Technology might make that transition easier.

That is the message emphasized by Sang Hwang, a regional director of sales for PayByPhone, considered the global leader in mobile parking payments.

Hwang, headquartered in Boston, appeared before the Nov. 28 joint La Conner Town Council-Planning Commission hybrid meeting at Maple Hall. Over the course of an hour he explained the mechanics of the PayByPhone system.

“It’s about changing behavior,” said Hwang, who had studied La Conner’s parking options.

“At each end of town,” he pointed out, “you have paid parking lots. In between, you have free parking. Why would people park in a pay lot when you have premium free parking on First Street?

“I see it everywhere, though,” Hwang continued, citing examples from Miami, Galveston and Boston. “Those parking in front of stores tend to be owners and employees of businesses.”

He expressed confidence that a balance can be struck to increase municipal revenues while meeting the needs of residents.

“You should consider paid parking an investment in the community,” said Hwang. “The fact that you have some paid parking here is a start.”

Hwang said that parking fees income can be increased significantly with a mobile payment system rather than installing costly pay stations. He said his company can provide payment apps that would meet La Conner’s specific needs, including seasonal-only paid parking.

He noted examples of merchants where PayByPhone is in place who offer to help their customers use the paid parking app at no charge. Those customers tend to purchase items at the store where assistance is provided, he said.

Phone apps also make it easier for motorists to extend their time if plans change. The Washington State Ferry Terminal walk-on parking lot in Anacortes is an example. Riders can increase their parking term if they find themselves in the San Juans longer than expected.

“The point I want to make tonight,” Hwang insisted, “is that it’s a journey.”

Mayor Ramon Hayes reiterated the point. “This is only informational,” he insisted at the close of the presentation, which included a question-and-answer segment.

“We’re not to the point to develop a consensus,” Hayes assured the large audience.

Hwang said mobile parking payment systems are rapidly becoming more commonplace in Europe, across Canada and in the United States.

Resident William Smith said he had used PayByPhone on a visit to Vancouver, B.C.

“It’s convenient,” he recalled. “I can’t imagine anyone who would have a strong objection to this service.”

Just as meter maids, tire chalking and parking meters gave way to payment kiosks, Hwang said the mobile payment option will soon be the most universal approach to generating parking revenue. Maintenance of pay stations alone dictates that, he said, predicting, “There will come a day when those pay station machines will stop operating.”

Numbered spaces are not required for the PayByPhone system.

“But you will need signage to communicate how the system works,” he said.

PayByPhone will provide the necessary signage, which in response to a question from Planning Commissioner Sommer Holt, he estimated would be roughly one sign per 10 to 15 parking spaces.

Resident Bill Stokes said a mobile payment system for downtown parking would provide a major boost to the municipal budget and perhaps lead to use of an electric vehicle shuttle service.

“The revenue source could be huge,” he said. “Every year the Town is cutting things out of the budget that it can’t afford.” As a council member he had advocated for paid parking.

Still, Hayes predicted the Town will take a cautious approach to downtown paid parking.

“We’re a small tourism-related town,” Hayes said. “We don’t want to shoot ourselves in the foot.”

Councilmember Rick Dole, with tongue planted firmly in cheek, wondered how paid parking on First Street would affect future holiday seasons.

“The question is,” he said, “do we give Santa Claus free parking?”