East Hampton and Sag Harbor Villages will begin charging for some prime parking spaces in their commercial districts in the coming days, and both will use ParkMobile, a smartphone app-based payment service.
Starting on Monday, in East Hampton's downtown Reutershan and Schenck parking lots, a maximum of three hours of parking will be allowed daily between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Village residents will be able to park for free as long as they have a beach permit or register their vehicles with Village Hall. Everyone else -- town residents outside of the village and visitors from other areas -- will be allowed two hours of free parking and the option to pay $10 for a third hour. Several free half-hour parking spaces will be available in both lots, and street parking will also remain free. In the municipal lot at 73 North Main Street, two hours of free parking will be available between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., but drivers must log in to the app.
The ParkMobile app will replace the payment machines in the East Hampton's long-term lots off of Gingerbread and Lumber Lanes. In the former, parking for more than 23 hours will cost $10 per day, and in the latter, a maximum of seven days will be allowed for $5 per day. The formerly free spaces for seven-day parking on Railroad Avenue will now cost $15 per day.
Beachgoers seeking to purchase a $50 daily parking permit at East Hampton's Main or Two Mile Hollow Beaches can do so via the app.
The ParkMobile app is available for free in the Apple and Google Play app stores. After creating an account, users must add their vehicles' license plate number, and a payment method. People without a smartphone can set up an account by calling 877-727-5730.
Parking sessions are initiated by entering the parking zone number, which will be displayed on signs in each location. Those who want to legally park for more than the allowed time will have to leave the lots, re-enter, and log back into the app.
In Sag Harbor Village, paid parking regulations will apply only to the spaces in the Long Wharf lot, beginning on Saturday, May 15. A maximum of three hours of parking will be allowed before 6 p.m., and a maximum of five hours afterward. The first hour will be free, and additional hours will cost $4 per hour. A telephone at the Harbor Master's office on Long Wharf will be available to initiate a parking session for those without a smartphone. The lot will also have several free 30-minute spaces available.