Parking with Philadelphia Love
It’s sunnier in Philadelphia; at least this time of year when motorbikes start to hit the streets after a long hibernation. And as of today, were making riding in Philly even brighter with our launch in PA’s biggest city. Riders can now find 300 spaces at nearly 50 locations (corrals) across the city. We have included about 20 shops, rentals and hot spots.
Philadelphia is our first launch of 2016 and latest since we debuted Vancouver last August. Both cities share some similarities where riders park in stalls that fit multiple bikes, however unlike Vancouver, each bike is responsible for payment. Each corral can pay by day ($5) or hourly (varies, same rate as cars) at kiosks, but for locals the city offers virtual permits for $250/year or $75/quarter. Once these permits are purchased, riders can park in any corral at any time. Don’t fear transient riders, daily permits can also be purchased for $5 at nearby kiosk then placed visibly on the bike. The daily permit is good for the entire date and allows you to move from corral to corral freely without having to pay again so long as the permit is displayed.
The Philadelphia Motorcycle & Scooter Coalition has been pushing the city to create designated parking and in partnership, the city debuted the pilot program in mid 2014 with meters going live in early 2015. We applaud the city for getting the program off the ground with the 50 corrals, but riders will soon demand more corals in other parts of the city; wouldn’t south by the ball park be perfect for the summer?
We also hope that in the future the city will create a more diverse fee option like discounted hourly rates. Also, printing a permit and affixing it to a bike is very archaic; we live in a digital world. So getting phone payment, or pay by plate up and running will be helpful. According the coalition, it looks like the city will be piloting a phone payment option with MeterUp to remedy this. But hey, at least Philly is heading the the right direction. They see how creating motorbike parking adds to the diversity of the their transportation system; definitely more progressive then our windy city back home.
Download CurbNinja on Android and iOS now and start parking smarter in Philly. Don’t forget other spots you find and give us a stellar review on the app stores! And, for more information, check these resources:
P.S. Philly motorbikes, we need your help! The cities data was missing a lot of key information, so as you ride around the city an park, please update our spots and continue to tag and spots we missed! Let’s keep the community rolling!