OCEAN CITY, Md. - This summer marked the first season in Ocean City with significantly fewer parking kiosks throughout town, leaving only the Inlet with physical machines.
Anna Young and Sean Clarkson said they only bring out their car when parking in town is free, a habit they started after most of the kiosks were removed.
“We take the bus from 94th Street down. It's much more convenient, and we don't have to deal with being late or anything like that,” Clarkson said.
The transition to the ParkMobile system required most visitors to pay using the app or by calling a phone number instead of using kiosks. Some visitors said they preferred the app because it was easy to use, while others said they needed help from family members and would have liked a kiosk still available.
Transportation Manager Rob Shearman Jr. said the transition went smoothly this season, with only a handful of complaints. He added that the town plans to remove the last kiosks at the Inlet before next summer season begins.
Clarkson said keeping kiosks available would give visitors more options. “It's more convenient. And maybe some people are going to come down and not realize that they took the meters away and they're not going to know what to do to park,” he said.
Shearman said revenue from paid parking increased by about 18 percent compared with last year, citing higher parking rates as the reason. He said the town currently has no plans to raise rates next year.
The last day of paid parking in Ocean City is Friday, October 31.