San Bruno to use ParkMobile for downtown paid parking

ParkMobile allows users to pay for parking directly via app, which will charge users an additional 30 cents per transaction but also offers benefits — like a smoother transaction process than the current web application, automated reminders when parking is set to expire and the option to extend parking remotely. 

Currently, one hour of on-street parking on downtown streets costs customers $1.50 and two hours of off-street parking in city lots costs customers $1. 

The application, which is already in use in neighboring cities like South San Francisco, also allows users to save license plate information. Users can also continue to utilize the physical kiosks to pay for parking, though ParkMobile representatives said the application boasts 50% average usage in cities where it's already in place. 

“This really helps provide convenience to the driver. We have the easiest platform, the best service in the industry,” Regional Sales Manager Zack Di Salvo said. “We’re trying to create a parking utopia, and we hope we can partner together to make that happen.” 

The City Council has made updates to the paid parking program since its April 2024 start faced a bevy of complaints, particularly from residents and downtown visitors who said the kiosks were unusable, the mobile application was unwieldy and the parking enforcement was too aggressive. 

Previous changes have included allowing users to pay a 50 cent rate for one hour of parking in the lots, rather than forcing them to pay for two hours, removing paid parking on El Camino Real and starting citywide parking meter enforcement at 10 a.m., rather than 8 a.m.

Councilmembers approved City Manager Alex McIntyre to negotiate the latest update, integrating ParkMobile for a five-year term, at their Oct. 14 meeting. 

They emphasized that ParkMobile should take precautions to ensure the transition goes smoothly, including potential ticketing leniency during the change and allowing customers to use both ParkMobile and the existing web application for a limited period of time. 

“It’d be nice to have a transition period,” Councilmember Michael Salazar said. “I think where we struggled through this whole program, we made assumptions about what people are willing to accept and how quickly they are willing to accept it.” 

It would be beneficial for the city if the ParkMobile update also emphasized the cheaper lot parking option and the fact that lot parking is free after 6 p.m., which San Bruno has previously struggled to advertise, Councilmember Tom Hamilton said. 

“Many people just don’t understand that it’s cheaper in the lots and that we have different timing in the lots,” he said.