A new app called Flowbird is now available and will make it more convenient to pay for metered parking on campus.

In the past, Transit and Parking has encouraged the use of an app called Whoosh! but it has been purchased by Flowbird.

There will be a transition time in which motorists can use either the Flowbird app or the Whoosh! app, but after summer time the Whoosh! app will no longer be available.

Flowbird uses the same data and the same account information as Whoosh! so no problems are anticipated with the change.

Drivers who use Whoosh! are encouraged to go ahead and download the Flowbird app and begin using it.

In addition, the Flowbird app represents an improved experience for motorists, because it will eventually have new options such as providing information on the availability of metered parking spaces.

During this year Transit and Parking experimented with using the Whoosh! app to pay to park in a lot and not just in metered parking areas. Lot 47N, located on Center Street on the west side of campus, was used as a testing site.

Not many students utilized the app to pay for parking there, but for those who did, it worked well. It was particularly helpful for those who were visiting the Islamic Center at the intersection of Center Street and Razorback Road.

Transit and Parking occasionally takes ideas through such a testing phase in an effort to see what technology will work best in providing improved service in the future.