Here's Your Options for Paying for Parking at Reston Town Center

RESTON, VA — Paid parking at Reston Town Center starts in just a couple weeks, and many have wondered if they'll absolutely have to use a smartphone to pay via the new ParkRTC app. The short answer is no, but the long answer is ... perhaps it's easier to just go ahead and download the app even if you don't want to.

ParkRTC, which launches Sept. 12 and marks the end of free parking at Reston Town Center, is a ticketless parking system based on license plate recognition aimed at "provid[ing] an enhanced parking experience for our customers," said Kathy Walsh, a spokesperson with the Fallston Group, which represents RTC developer Boston Properties.

That means the easiest way to pay is to download the ParkRTC app, enter your information, enter the zone number based on the signage you see, and then pay via a credit or debit card.

But if you really, really don't want to download the app, there are alternatives. You can go to www.ParkRTC.com to pay online, or you can call 571-485-7790.

If that's still not good enough for you and you want to pay at a physical pay station, those will be provided at the RTC garages as well. At the pay station, you can enter your zone, vehicle information, your length of stay and payment information. You can also pay with cash at these pay stations.

Unfortunately, if you're parking on the street, cash won't be accepted. And checks won't be accepted no matter where you park.

So there are options for paying for parking without downloading the app. However, it may prove to be more difficult: you'll either have to walk to a pay station, or have to go online or pay by phone -- all options that would take longer than having all your information pre-loaded into the ParkRTC app.

Of course, with many Reston residents greatly concerned about privacy and the accessibility of their data despite assurances from Boston Properties, many locals may avoid downloading the app anyway -- or, considering the outrage over paid parking, avoid RTC altogether.

A list of frequently asked questions about ParkRTC with answers is available here.