Hartford Introduces New Way to Pay for Parking with Mobile App Powered by Passport

The Hartford Parking Authority today announced the launch of “Woonerf”, a mobile parking app for the city’s metered parking spaces.

The app was created by Passport, the global parking technology leader who powers the parking apps for large cities like Boston, Toronto, Chicago, and Detroit. Passport pioneered the private label parking application, launching custom solutions in large cities around the world. With the introduction of the Woonerf app, the Parking Authority’s goal is to deploy one total parking solution for Hartford residents and visitors.

“By providing Hartford with a custom mobile parking solution, we are able to make our city more livable, walkable, as well as continue to attract younger generations to the downtown area,” said Eric Boone, Chief Executive Officer for Hartford Parking Authority. “We also realize that the world has gotten to a point where they feel comfortable that parking is app-based and not hardware-based. We’re excited to partner with Passport to continue to broaden our aspirations for a more connected city.”

Woonerf allows users to quickly and easily pay for parking, extend their session for free, and keep track of all parking history, as well as receive notifications when their parking session is low on time.

The Hartford Parking Authority named the app “Woonerf”, which means a “living street” in Dutch. Woonerf is a technique that is used by urban designers to encourage the steady and comfortable flow of mobility within a city. The Hartford Parking Authority chose this unique name to reflect its broader aspirations to make the downtown area more livable and the roads more shareable for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

“Woonerf is only the beginning of many exciting transportation initiatives,” said Mike Mohler, Project Manager at Passport. “We are thrilled to provide a custom mobile parking technology that helps power a vibrant and growing city of Hartford.”

The Woonerf app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play. Users can also manage their parking online at www.WoonerfCT.com.

About Passport 

Passport is North America’s leading mobile technology solution specializing in enterprise business applications and payments for the public and private sector. Passport's product lines--parking payments, transit payments, enforcement and permit management--collectively serve to deliver dynamic tools for agencies to better connect with their communities. Its services have been adopted by over 20 of the top 50 cities in North America and over 2,000 locations including Chicago, Toronto, Boston, and Portland. Passport’s mission is to reduce operational complexity and deliver intelligent data to improve decision making for its clients.

Passport is backed by a group of investors, including Grotech Ventures, Relevance Capital, and MK Capital. For more information, please visit www.passportinc.com.

About Hartford Parking Authority

The Hartford Parking Authority (HPA) meets the needs of parkers Citywide by consistently providing convenient and affordable parking, and strives to be a leader by incorporating parking industry best practices and actively partnering with the City of Hartford in promoting economic and community development. The HPA oversees metered and regulated parking spaces on Hartford streets, as well as operates and maintains the City-owned MAT Garage, Sheldon Street Lot and DoNo Surface Lots. For more information, contact the Hartford Parking Authority at 860.527.7275 or visit www.hartfordparking.com.