New city website aims to make parking easier for El Pasoans

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Pasoans will soon have an easier way to find parking downtown and in other areas where there is metered parking.

The City of El Paso is in the beginning phases of their new parking website called Park915.com, which will allow drivers to access a map that will show public and private available parking.

Roberto Tinajero - the Interim Director of the International Bridges Department, which oversees the Parking Meter Division - said that the goal of the website is "to provide the public with a better customer service. Everything parking related will be on that website. Not only parking meters, but also private garages."

Park915, which will also be downloadable for free in the app store, also gives drivers the ability to reserve a spot ahead of time.

"I think it's a major improvement because I mean, it's pretty tight enough already here and it's more decisions you do make on the fly to park. So it's going to be more convenient to plan ahead of time, I guess, to find parking," said El Pasoan Hector Lopez.

But some El Pasoans have their reservations.

"I just would want to understand, I guess, the method by which that they have spaces available. Like the data that's being used and gathered and to make spaces available, I would want to know that," said El Pasoan Matt Armendariz. "And then I would want to know that it complies with applicable law and that there's no situation. You know, you had a problem with Foursquare where people would track you based on checking in on location, stuff like that. Just want to be aware of that kind of privacy policy about that."

Still, Armendariz said he would recommend the app to his friends and family.

Tinajero said the website and app are free, however there is a small fee when using the app to pay for parking.

The City of El Paso is also upgrading parking meters to include bother English and Spanish. Previously, the meters only had English prompts.