Parking in Tampa, awash in blacktop, will soon be easier for some

More than 16,000 parking spaces blanket Tampa and, starting July 1, the city is implementing two initiatives in the hope of improving the accessibility of the spaces for residents and visitors alike.

Anyone properly displaying a disabled parking permit or license plate will soon be able to park for free for up to four hours in on-street metered spaces automatically, without having to interact with a pay station or mobile payment app.

“By providing hours of free ADA parking spaces throughout Tampa, we are sending a clear message that every individual, regardless of their abilities, deserves equal opportunities to participate in and experience all that our community has to offer,” Mayor Jane Castor said in a statement Thursday.

Also beginning July 1, the city has partnered with four mobile parking payment applications to make it easier for users to pay for parking using their smartphones. The apps — Passport, PayByPhone, ParkMobile and Flowbird — are free to download from the App Store or Google Play Store.

The city “wanted to ensure that our residents and visitors are equipped with the most convenient and innovative methods to make parking payment transactions effortless,” Parking Division Manager Fed Revolte said in a statement.