Only On 2: Drivers Frustrated By Parking 'App-Palooza' Across Westchester County
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A parking "app-palooza" is frustrating drivers in Westchester County.
They have to download different apps to pay for parking in neighboring communities, CBS2's Tony Aiello reported.
New Rochelle uses ParkMobile. Peekskill uses Park Smarter. Other municipalities use Pango, Passport or PayByPhone.
Drivers who want the convenience of paying for parking with a smartphone app face the irritating task of downloading a half dozen apps to use across the county.
"They should all be the same, in every community. We use every community," one person told Aiello.
New Rochelle and Mamaroneck have used ParkMobile for several years. Larchmont, which is sandwiched between the two, rolled out the Passport Parking app a few months ago, forcing many people who patronize the three downtowns to download another app.
"I have a lot of customers from Mamaroneck and New Rochelle as well, so it would be much easier if Larchmont would have one app for all three towns and the village," said business owner Meyer Yusupov.
And then there's White Plains, which uses an app "powered by Passport" that can't be used anywhere else.
"It makes no sense," another person said.
Mount Vernon, Bronxville, Tuckahoe and Scarsdale all went with the Pango app. Eastchester's supervisor didn't hesitate to do the same.
"It was motorist convenience," said Supervisor Anthony Colavita. "Two villages in the town had Pango. Our neighbors, for example, Scarsdale had Pango. So to help make life easier for everybody, we went with Pango."
Colavita believes "app irritation" is growing. He said the more than 40 Westchester municipalities should coordinate and even consolidate their app choices.
"Things should be so easier. It would be so much better to just have a single app, or at least have regions of apps to make life a little bit better," Colavita said.
In a sign of progress, White Plains is talking to Passport and hoping to make its version of the app work in Larchmont and other Passport communities.
The administrator in Larchmont said they chose Passport because it offered savings on a permit parking system. The company was already providing software and equipment for parking enforcement.