Austin Bogues

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3 things to know about the new AP parking app

More than a million people visited Asbury Park in 2016

Officials are considering overhauling the parking system

ASBURY PARK - As it weighs a parking meter system overhaul, the city is also creating a new app to help ease headaches of parking in one of the Shore's most popular destinations.

"My biggest priority is to improve the parking payment experience," said Michael Manzella, the city's transportation manager.

"It's bad enough you have to find a space, but then to have challenges with paying for your space that definitely frustrates people," Manzella said.

Asbury Park has 2,700 metered parking spaces, and if you're caught not paying to park in one of them, the fines start at $36.

Here are 3 things to know about parking in Asbury Park:

1. The new app will have a cheaper user fee

This past week, the city approved an agreement with PassportParking LLC to develop a new parking app that is planned for launch on Memorial Day weekend. The app will replace the current one in use, mPay2Park and will be Asbury Park-branded, according to Manzella.

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The new app will charge users 30 cents per transaction, down from the current app's 35 cents. Manzella said the new app will provide push notifications when time is running out on their parking space, allowing them to renew from wherever they are.

2. The city may scrap its current parking meters

This month, the city began testing out three new parking machines on Mattison Avenue between Bond and Emory streets.

They're being provided free of charge by the vendors – Parkeon, IPS Group, as well as the city's current provider, T2 systems.

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The trial period is continuing through June 29. Users are asked to participate in a survey to help give input.

"We need your feedback," said Asbury Park Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn. She said the city is particularly interested in improving the parking meter experience for seniors.

The current 100 parking machines in use are nearly six years old and have needed updating, Manzella said.

3. Asbury Park traffic is expected to swell this summer

Last year, more than a million visitors came to the Shore town. Manzella said during Memorial Day weekend of 2016, there were more than 23,000 paid parking transactions at the city meters.

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"There's no doubt that the popularity continues to increase," he said, referring to city tourism. The city collected more than $4.5 million revenue in 2016, up from $1.9 million in 2013.

"I think if you’ve watched the trends each year for the last eight or nine years, our visitor numbers have climbed. I would anticipate that trend would continue," said Sylvia Sylvia-Cioffi, executive director of the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce. "Having parking terminals that are more reliable is going to make for a better visitor experience," she said.

Austin Bogues 732-643-4009; abogues@gannettnj.com. For more news on Asbury Park, visit app.com and simply search for "Asbury Park."

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