Vancouver drivers now have a new option for paying for on-street parking. The City of Vancouver has awarded a five-year contract to Arcadis to implement HotSpot, a mobile parking management app, across all on-street parking zones in the city.

The app integrates with the city's existing parking infrastructure, meaning no significant new hardware is required. Drivers can pay through the app by following signage and instructions at on-street pay stations. HotSpot offers configurable account preferences, a parking history, and parking maps to help drivers manage their parking digitally.

"HotSpot's innovative approach is largely independent of traditional infrastructure, allowing Vancouver to modernize its parking system without heavy capital investment or ongoing maintenance costs," said Rahul Mehra, Global Portfolio Director at Arcadis.

Vancouver joins a number of British Columbia communities already using the platform, including Surrey, Nanaimo, Prince George, Vernon, and Cranbrook, as well as the Provincial Health Services Authority.

The platform has been tested in high-demand situations elsewhere in Canada. In Edmonton, HotSpot was deployed ahead of a surge in parking demand tied to the 2024 Stanley Cup finals. Integrated with Arcadis' CurbIQ curbside management solution, it provided real-time updates on parking availability and has supported more than 1.7 million contactless transactions since launch.

HotSpot is used by around 190 municipalities and government-funded organizations across North America.