After years of parking woes, complete with faulty tickets being issued, technical issues, and corresponding complaints from users, the Royal Oak City Commission unanimously voted to approve a new agreement for management of parking in the city.

ParkMobile, a popular system utilized in neighboring cities like Detroit and Birmingham, and its counterpart Flowbird, can now add Royal Oak to its growing lineup, managing the city’s mobile app and parking pay stations, respectively. This comes after an intensive selection process, including public input, and months of collaborative contract negotiations to reach a mutually beneficial deal.

The city will look to install approximately 150 solar powered Flowbird pay stations. The city and the contractors will collaborate to choose locations, both on-street and off-street, maximizing user experience and efficiency. The city will incur no upfront charges for the implementation of the ParkMobile app, however, users will pay a 35 cent transaction fee, subject to a 15 cent reduction if drivers opt for using the ParkMobile Wallet.

“Together, both of these technologies will provide a modern, efficient, and accessible parking experience for residents and visitors,” said Niccolas Grochowski, the city’s attorney.

Since 2021, the city’s partnership with Municipal Parking Services, relying on Sentry Mobile for meters and ticketing, has been under scrutiny. Riddled with issues, the city’s contract with MPS is set to expire on Dec. 31 following a lawsuit between the two entities resulting in early termination of their agreement. The city will use the next five months to prepare for ParkMobile and Flowbird’s installation and implementation, flipping on the switch Jan. 1, 2026.

“The old system was a headache and it’s one that I’m finally happy after four years we’re finally getting rid of,” said Commissioner Brandon Kolo.

To help navigate the process, the city established the Parking System Steering Committee. Consisting of members from the City Commission, Downtown Development Authority, and city staff, the committee worked together to develop a mechanism for choosing a new parking partnership. Now, residents, business owners, and visitors alike can reap the benefits, officials believe.

“It was a collaborative and thoughtful decision-making process where we had City commissioners, DDA, City staff; we had a consulting firm that helped guide us through the process. We had community outreach,” said Commissioner Amanda Herzog, who was also a member of the steering committee. “So this was a very collaborative and thoughtful approach for a system that is going to have an easier use, there’s the readability, and then the solar power component that we’re excited about.”

Pay stations are anticipated to be installed in the fall. Residents will also receive several points of communication at varying stages including installation and the official launch of the new system. Additionally, as outlined in the more than 200-page contract, the city will retain complete control and ownership of the parking equipment and system. The pay stations will have an annual service fee of $696 each.

The project is estimated to cost the city almost $890,000.