The worst part of car ownership in Boston is finding a parking spot. It turns out that a city older than the car wasn’t quite planned with them in mind. But as with many industries, parking is getting better with technology. Whether it’s helping you find a spot in a garage or renting a space in someone’s driveway, drivers can rely on tech to help them park. And tech is even easing the sting of a parking ticket by making the process of paying easier.
Top Apps to Use When Parking in Boston
- ParkBoston
- SPOT
- Veer
- SpotHero
- Boston PayTix
Finding a parking spot right in front of your destination is still the best result for many drivers, but those street spots often come with meters that need to be fed. However, drivers no longer have to carry around a roll of quarters or even whip out their credit cards thanks to ParkBoston. The app, run by the City of Boston, lets users pay for parking on their phone. Drivers also get alerts when time is running out on their spaces and can pay for more time from anywhere.
Public parking spots are great, but sometimes you need to park for longer than street parking allows. Or you want something a little more secure. Or something just closer than street parking allows. SPOT helps you find private parking with an Airbnb-like model. Owners of parking spaces — like driveways, private parking lots and even garages — post their spaces on SPOT, and drivers can pay for them on the go.
Sometimes, a parking garage is your best bet for finding parking. But showing up and realizing that there’s a concert going on across the street can really throw off your budget, as garages usually raise rates around those times. With Veer, you can see what parking will be before you arrive, and even get options on where the cheapest spaces can be found.
Want to be absolutely sure a spot will be available when you get to your destination? SpotHero lets you reserve spots at more than 170 lots and garages across Boston so you can eliminate that anxiety. And you’ll know how much parking will cost and can map out the walk to your final destination so you’re never late again.
Even with all these great options, getting a ticket is practically a rite of passage in Boston. But it isn’t quite as painful as in years past, thanks to Boston PayTix. Instead of mailing in a check, users can scan tickets and pay on their phone with a credit card. Not only does that make it easier and quicker, but it also means you’re less likely to forget about the ticket.
