By Mary O’KEEFE

There is a new way to pay for parking in the Montrose Shopping Park. Newly installed meters look the same as the old ones and continue to accept change as in the past; however, there is a new option to pay via a parking app.

There is a green and grey banner sticker on top and in front of the parking meters. On them is a “Location” number, a phone number, app and online information. On the online site there are instructions on how to download the app.

Once on the app, drivers will be asked to register their vehicle with the license plate number, state it is registered in and a brief description of the vehicle such as its color. Then drivers pay with a credit card or using Apple Pay. There is a charge of 30 cents for using the app. So for those who pay for an hour at $1.50 they will also be charged that fee of 30 cents, bringing the total cost to $1.80 for one hour. The charge of 30 cents is per use, not per hour.

The meter does not register the user’s time of arrival; that information is displayed on the app. It will notify drivers when their meter time is about to run out so more time can be purchased, if needed. This system does stop that “Oh, lucky day” feeling of pulling into a spot and seeing a meter with some time left over from the previous driver; however, it also helps drivers keep track of meter time so they do not return to their vehicle to find a ticket on the windshield.