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Sep 28, 2007 7:34 pm US/Pacific
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SF Drivers Can Feed Meters With Their Cell Phones
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) ―
A new pilot program exploring pay-by-cell-phone parking in San Francisco received backing from Mayor Gavin Newsom Friday.
"Other cities around the world already use this technology, so there's no reason for us to not give our residents the same advantage," Newsom said in a written statement.
The 90-day San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency program began Sept. 10 and is employing three different companies in test areas throughout the city in order to compare technologies, according to Newsom's office.
Currently, parking meters in certain city-owned, off-street parking lots in the Richmond, Marina and West Portal districts are employing the technology.
With a credit card, drivers can set up an account in one or more of the three test areas. Once an account is established, they can pay for meter time by cell phone. They will also receive a text message reminder before the meter runs out and can then add more time by cell phone.
Fees for the service range from free for one company, to 35 cents per month for another, to $5 per month for the third.
SFMTA will also be collecting customer comments on the technology.
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