City of Mobile to Transform Downtown Parking Experience

Oct 24th, 2018

Mobile, Ala.-- Pending Council approval, the City of Mobile will be installing new parking meters where citizens can pay for parking using a credit card, a mobile app or the traditional coin slot. In addition to the new meters, new signage will better communicate the location of parking spaces, time limits and costs. Parking enforcement times and days will remain Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm.

"This is the next step to move the City's outdated parking system into the 21st Century," said Mayor Stimpson. "Embracing new technology will offer our citizens and visitors a more accessible and user-friendly experience. If your lunch meeting runs long, you can soon add more time to your parking straight from your phone. Our goal is to ensure this transition to a more innovative model is as smooth as possible."

In early 2018, the City released a Request for Proposals for parking management services for on street parking in Downtown Mobile. After a comprehensive review process, the City selected Republic Parking as the new provider. Republic Parking will be responsible for meter installation, payment collection and parking ambassadors among other duties. The contract will be on Tuesday’s City Council agenda.

As more people move to Downtown Mobile, the City is also exploring a Residential Permit Program to ensure parking availability for residential areas of downtown. An Employee Parking Program will also address the needs of downtown employees while providing convenient parking for visitors.