City Pilots Pay-By-Plate Parking Stations in Two Downtown Lots

Bloomington, Ind. - Starting in early March, two highly trafficked parking facilities downtown will be upgraded from single-space metered parking to multi-space meters (pay stations). The pay stations will be installed in Lot 1, at 4th & Dunn Streets, and Lot 3, at 4th & Washington Streets as part of a six-month trial program that will provide the City with better data on parking availability and turnover.  This implementation was informed by recommendations in the 2018 Downtown Area Parking Study conducted to improve the customer experience, efficiency, and convenience of downtown parking.   Those using the new pay stations are invited to participate in a survey about their experience that will be used to determine the continuation of the pilot.     

The new pay stations in Lots 1 and 3 allow parkers to pay using their license plate number, without the need to enter a parking space number or display a payment receipt.  After parking, parkers will stop by one of two pay stations in each lot, where they will enter their license plate number, indicate a desired length of time, and pay using coins, credit or debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and Discover), or Google Pay or Apple Pay.   Signs with instructions and payment options have been installed throughout the lots. Please follow this link for a video demonstrating the functionality of the pay stations, frequently asked questions, and a printable brochure.  

As at the City’s single-space meters, the fee for parking in Lots 1 and 3 will continue to be $1.00 per hour.  Credit card users must make a minimum purchase of $1.00 and will be charged a convenience fee. As at single-space meters, payment may be made using the pay-by-mobile app "Parkmobile,"  which may be downloaded to a smart device from iOS App Store or Google Play Store. Downtown enforcement hours are Monday through Saturday from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm.  

Information about parking use collected through the pay stations will help inform the City’s deployment of parking resources and long term transportation needs planning.  More information about the pay-by-plate parking station pilot is available here.