Austin first city where drivers pay for parking in Google Maps

The Transportation Department is rolling out a new parking payment feature to make Austin the first city where drivers can pay for parking within Google Maps. When navigating a route using Google Maps on either iOS or Android systems, drivers will be prompted to pay for on-street parking spaces directly from their mobile phone, eliminating the need to use a parking kiosk. For the new feature, Google has partnered with Passport, the company that already provides technology services for the city and helped brand the city’s ParkATX app. “The city of Austin’s parking team has always had a laser focus on delivering a positive customer experience by making parking frictionless,” said Khristian Gutierrez, chief revenue officer at Passport. Assistant City Manager Gina Fiandaca said the feature “improves convenience while also reducing the need to physically touch parking meters or ticketing machines in light of the current global pandemic.” The announcement comes days after Transportation announced its new “pay-by-plate” system, allowing drivers to enter their license plates for parking sessions up to 10 hours across the city, eliminating the need for parking stickers and the problem of narrow time limits at on-street parking spots.