A LaSalle woman has shown that it pays to use the city of Windsor's coinless parking application.
When University of Windsor student Jordyn Deschaine used the Passport parking app when she parked near the Capitol Theatre on May 3, little did she know that the transaction was the 100,000th use of the app since it was launched in December 2017. For reaching that milestone, Deschaine was given a $100 prize on Tuesday morning.
Mayor Drew Dilkens and city parking enforcement supervisor Bill Kralovensky gave Deschaine her prize at the meter on Pelissier Street just south of University Avenue West.
Deschaine, 24, said she has been using the app from the beginning and that it's very useful for students like her. Both the university and St. Clair College have campuses downtown, and many students visit downtown restaurants and bars on weekends.
"I noticed the stickers being put on all the meters, and it's really convenient because I never usually have enough change or any change at all, so I find it really convenient," said Deschaine.
Kralovensky said the app is now operational on all of the city's 1,400 metered spaces, plus the 24 surface lots owned and operated by the city. He said 15 per cent of all parking transactions have involved the app, which is a good indication of use since its inception.
"Between 500 and 600 transactions a day during the week," said Kralovensky. "The weekend obviously when downtown's a little busier, the university area, those type of things, it does increase on the weekends."
Kralovensky said there are more plans for the app in the works. Currently, the app can be used at all three hospital campuses in the city as well as the metered spaces and city-owned lots.
Complete information on the Passport app can be found at the city of Windsor's official website.
Jordyn Deschaine receives her prize from Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens at the meter she used for the 100,000th Passport app transaction on Pelissier Street, Windsor, as city parking enforcement supervisor Bill Kralovensky looks on. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.
