San Francisco Launches 2 Parking Apps as PayByPhone Exits by May 31

8 articles · Updated · KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco · May 11

ParkMobile and HotSpot are now live in San Francisco, giving drivers two app options before PayByPhone stops working at the end of May.
The switch follows the expiration of the city's PayByPhone contract, and SFMTA is urging users to download and set up the new apps now.
Both apps let drivers pay remotely, track remaining meter time and extend sessions without returning to the meter; each transaction carries a $0.35 convenience fee.
SFMTA has also added online reservations for city-owned parking garages through its website, expanding the city's push to make parking payments and planning easier.
ParkMobile already operates in Berkeley and Oakland, which could ease the transition for Bay Area drivers who already use the app.

As San Francisco's new parking apps add fees, are drivers paying for convenience or subsidizing the city's budget deficit?

With new parking apps tracking every move, what is the true price of convenience for San Francisco drivers' personal data?

Could San Francisco's shift to competing parking apps create more fragmentation and hassle than the single system it replaced?