Paying to park in downtown Waterloo is easier now, thanks to a new smartphone app being launched by the city.

For the first time, drivers can pay for parking in more than 900 spaces in the downtown area with the PassportParking app. They will also be able to monitor their parking sessions, view payment history, receive email receipts, and extend their parking session.

"We wanted to offer residents and visitors another option to pay for parking," said Jon Rouse of Republic Parking, which manages the city's parking system. “The PassportParking app offers a great convenience within reach. You can pay for parking and extend your time when available.”

In addition to single use payments, the City of Waterloo is offering a wallet option within the app which allows users to upload funds into the PassportParking account. The initial upload is for $10 with an option to reload in $10 increments. Drivers can still pay directly through the app without using the wallet feature.

“Once users download the app and create an account, a zone number and meter number are required, said Wendy Bowman, Communications Director for the City of Waterloo. "The Waterloo downtown is designated as zone 5070."

According to a press release, all meter numbering and required signage was being finalized on Tuesday.

Anyone parking in downtown Waterloo will still have the option of putting coins in the meters, if they choose not to use the service.

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