BETHLEHEM, Pa. (WLVT) - Before the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the fastest ways to pay for parking in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and Reading was through a third-party Maryland-based app called MobileNOW! The impact of COVID-19 has forced the company to shut down suddenly Monday, leaving customers and local governments wondering what's next.
A message on the app and on the company website says MobileNOW! ceased operations and dissolved on the same day. The big question is what happens to the money customers still have in their accounts. In the company's statement, MobileNOW! says it needs to go through its liquidation process first and will use any available funds after that to pay a proportion of credit balances.
When and how that happens is still in the works, but customers who paid by credit card would get their refund automatically.
In Allentown, parking meter enforcement resumed May 11. Parking authority executive director John Morgan said the app's shutdown won’t affect the collection of payment, noting there are more than 80 meters downtown that accept coins, bills and cards.
As for mobile payment, Morgan said the parking authority was already thinking about adding another service and now will likely go in that direction. He estimated it could take two to three weeks after a contract has been finalized.
Morgan said he’s been in talks with the other local cities who used MobileNOW! as they try to coordinate a new plan.
In Bethlehem, the city's parking authority has started removing MobileNOW! signage and stickers from meters. In a statement, interim director Steve Fernstrom said the following:
"We understand the popularity of MobileNOW! and how important it is to have the convenience of a mobile payment system for the residents and visitors of Bethlehem. Presently, we are working on securing a replacement mobile payment partner and will be communicating our progress with the public as we come closer to naming a vendor."
Until the city picks a new vendor, customers can pay for parking with coins, credit cards or park-and-shop tokens.
In Easton, parking meter enforcement is still suspended. The city's marketing consultant, Tracey Werner, said the city hasn’t decided when to resume, but when it does, the plan is to have a new vendor in place.
That’s also the case in Reading. Parking authority executive director Nathan Matz said the city has about a thousand parking meters, but enforcement is still on hold. Matz said Reading is working on finding a new vendor and will only resume enforcement when the new system is ready to go.
To view the full statement from MobileNOW!, click HERE.