Carbon County Automates Parking with Flowbird

Flowbird Group is proud to announce that Carbon County, Pennsylvania, has partnered with Butts Ticket Systems, Flowbird’s local distribution partner, to launch a new Pay-by-Plate parking system. Implementation of the system completed in January and includes 15 Strada pay stations and Flowbird’s mobile parking payment application.

The new system automates parking for both the users and county staff. The previous parking solution included an attended parking booth taking payments in the county’s large, 100+ space parking lot that stretches along the popular Lehigh River. The lot is used by daily parkers looking to take advantage of shopping, restaurants, and outdoor activities in Jim Thorpe, the county seat. The Flowbird system is programmed to charge based on vehicle type (e.g. cars, buses, campers, and vehicles with trailers). Additionally, the Flowbird solution replaced single space coin-only parking meters that were installed in hourly county-operated locations.

Carbon County is replicating the Town of Jim Thorpe’s Flowbird parking system which was implemented in 2018. The system has proven to be very successful, and after careful research and consideration, the county installed the same system for their parking locations.

Patrons can now simply enter their license plate numbers into the new parking kiosks before paying for their time. Users are guided step-by-step through their parking transactions on the full-color display screens at the new kiosks. Time can be extended at the kiosk with your plate number.

Payment is accepted in either coin, cash, debit, or credit cards. For motorists wanting to skip the kiosks altogether, they can pay via the Flowbird mobile payment app which can be accessed on Android and iOS platforms, as well as on the Flowbird app website. The Flowbird app provides time expiration notifications, remote time extension, and a “find my car” feature.

Parking space is very limited in the Jim Thorpe area so having automated parking controls in place is critical. "I think the most important thing is the parking because the town lacks that, and this should help the businesses in the area also," said Frank McCutcheon, Carbon County resident.

Carbon County joins a growing list of Flowbird clients in the State of Pennsylvania, which includes the Philadelphia Parking Authority, Pittsburgh Parking Authority, Lancaster Parking Authority, and the municipalities of Scranton, New Hope, Mount Lebanon, and Williamsport.

About Flowbird US

Flowbird operates in over 5,000 towns and cities in 70 countries. The company is constantly innovating and breaking new ground to help provide solutions. Its mission is to facilitate the individual journey and maximize a city’s unique mobility potential while considering all city stakeholders and end-user experiences. Through its devices, elite service platform, and teams, Flowbird enables a new era for maximizing urban harmony and value throughout the city’s core.