PayByPhone app now allows advance payment for next day’s parking

Had one more than you anticipated but drove the car into town? PayByPhone offers a solution with the launch of a new feature.

The app, which allows drivers to pay for meter parking around town using their smartphone, rolled out a “Park Until” function where a user can pay for the next morning’s parking in advance, up to the maximum allowable stay — for example, three hours at many spots. That way, he or she can avoid having to return early to add time or move the vehicle when meter rates are back in effect.

“The new Park Until feature being added by PayByPhone is an excellent new tool to ensure people are able to enjoy the night life Vancouver has to offer while ensuring they can get home safely,” said Jerry Dobrovolny, general manager of Engineering Services for the City of Vancouver. “It’s also a great compliment to TransLink’s recently announced NightBus Hub initiative, and we’re happy to see more options for residents to travel safely around the city.”

Aside from those who may have imbibed one too many, the city says the added functionality is great for people finishing night shifts a little later than anticipated. They can simply open the app and enter the time of expiration desired, rather than calculating the exact duration.

As Dobrovolny alluded to above, Translink is piloting a modified Nightbus service. Starting at 2 a.m., all 10 Nightbus routes will leave from a well-lit central hub located at West Georgia Street and Granville Street. Leaving every 30 minutes or less from downtown Vancouver, seven days a week, drivers can now leave their vehicle parked overnight and easily hop on public transit to return home.

PayByPhone is free and can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play.