elorza providence

City of Providence Prepares for National 3G Phase Out by Integrating Credit Card Parking Payments into PVD311 App

PROVIDENCE, RI – The City of Providence today announced a new convenient method to pay for parking in preparation for the national discontinuation of 3G service. Digital parking payment functionality has now been integrated into the City’s PVD311 app, which is already widely used by Providence residents and visitors.

Providence’s single-space parking meters use T-Mobile’s 3G technology to communicate credit card payment information. T-Mobile has announced that it will finish shutting down its 3G network by the end of June 2022 which will impact Providence’s single-space parking meters.

By the end of June, single-space parking meters will no longer accept credit cards.  Credit card payments for parking in Providence will continue to be accepted through the City’s digital parking vendor, Passport Parking, and all parking meters will continue to accept coins. In preparation for the change, the City of Providence has integrated Passport Parking’s features into the City’s PVD311 app, creating a streamlined way for Providence residents and visitors to pay for parking. Multi-space meters throughout Providence will continue to directly accept credit cards.

“As we prepare for these services to be phased out, I encourage all who park in Providence to download the PVD311 app and get familiar with how to pay for parking through your phone,” said Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. “While many who park in Providence are already familiar with Passport Parking, we are excited that this service is now being offered within the PVD311 app, which many Providence residents currently use to get connected with City services.”

PVD311 is an easy-to-use mobile app designed to make City services and alerts accessible.

How to pay for parking through the PVD311 app:

  1. Download the PVD311 app from the App Store or Google Play
  2. Select “Pay to Park”
  3. Follow on-screen instructions to pay within the integrated Passport Parking feature

In addition to the PVD311 app, users may also manage their parking session directly through the Passport Parking App or online at passportparking.com. Since its implementation in 2017, over 130,000 unique users have paid for parking in Providence through Passport Parking rather than at the meter. Currently, more than half of all credit card payments for parking in Providence occur through Passport Parking.

Both the Passport Parking and PVD311 mobile applications are available for Android and Apple devices.