New app lets you monitor Reitz Union parking meter from your phone

Starting today, UF students and visitors can monitor and pay for on-campus parking from their phones.

The PassportParking Mobile Pay app, which extends its utilities to UF today, allows students to pay for metered parking and extend parking time from their phones, said Emily Wilson, a marketing specialist of the Passport company. The feature is available at the Reitz Union parking garage and Bledsoe Drive parking lot.

“The purpose of the app is to give students more options for parking,” Wilson said. “They are busy eating, studying and doing things, so when they’re out, this app makes the entire parking experience easier.”

The app’s countdown timer shows when a payment is going to expire and sends notifications directly to their phone, she said. Students can also check their parking history.

Erik Higginbotham, a UF computer engineering junior, said he thinks the app will help keep students from going over parking time.

“One time I left my car sitting in a parking garage overnight and forgot because my friend brought me home the night before,” the 20-year-old said. “I was sitting illegally in a paid parking space and had no idea, so this new app reminding me to pay for more time would have been helpful.”

Wilson said there is a possibility it will expand to other areas and maybe off-campus parking in the future.

“This app will hopefully make the parking experience more enjoyable and give students more flexibility,” she said.