City staff told the Keene City Council on May 1 that the parking office will consolidate downtown ParkMobile zones to allow drivers to pay once and move within a zone without paying again. The changes are intended to make downtown parking more flexible and easier to use.

Why it matters: Under the new setup, Central Square will become a single unified zone; Main Street (from West Street to Marlborough/Winchester) will be another zone; and side streets such as Washington Street and Court Street will be grouped as a single zone. Customers will be able to pay at any pay station within the same zone and use the ParkMobile app without incurring extra processing fees when moving within that zone.

Operational details announced by the manager include a new “text to park” option: motorists can text the zone number shown on a pay station to a provided number and receive a secure payment link, enabling app-free payments. The manager said the new zones will appear in the ParkMobile app starting the Monday after the meeting and that the city expects the change to improve convenience, compliance, and reduce enforcement needs.

City staff recognized the parking manager and communications staff for implementing and publicizing the changes; the manager encouraged downtown users to look for updated zone information in the ParkMobile app and city notices.

The changes were presented as an informational update during the manager's remarks and will be implemented administratively by the parking office.