WILLIAMSBURG — After a month of evaluations of its new digital parking system, the City of Williamsburg announced it will allow physical guest passes for those who prefer them.
Residents in neighborhood permit zones who qualify and desire a guest pass may choose either a physical hang tag or a digital-only pass, the city said, and physical guest passes will be available beginning Monday, Sept. 22 at the Finance window in the Municipal Building or by calling 757-220-6180.
No change is being made to the neighborhood parking permits for residents, which must be purchased and managed digitally, the city said.
“Leading up to this digital conversion, I underestimated the importance of physical guest passes to neighbors in permit parking streets,” Williamsburg City Manager Andrew O. Trivette said. “With this change, the City can provide flexibility to those who prefer the hang tags for their guests while evaluating the digital system’s effectiveness and efficiency.”
Staff have met regularly to consider comments, compliments, complaints and suggestions received from the public, the city said.
“Parking is a perennial challenge for any locality with a high quality of life,” Mayor Douglas G. Pons said. “No one solution fits all, and parking will always be a work in progress as we balance convenience, function, and accountability. The broad use of guest passes makes digitization a unique challenge to overcome, and we are still working to solve it.”
The new parking system, powered by Passport Inc., launched in August.
