Digital parking passes decrease traffic and improve visitor experience
ANNAPOLIS (May 26, 2021) – For public swimming days starting Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 29, visitors to scenic Mayo Beach Park must now reserve park passes through YourPassNow.com, a digital marketplace that makes it easy and convenient for visitors to obtain electronic passes, permits, and tickets to public lands online. Mayo Beach Park parking passes are available to the public at no cost.
Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks partnered with NIC Maryland, part of NIC and Tyler Technologies, to introduce the pilot parking pass system with the goal of decreasing traffic congestion on residential roads, better manage visitor expectations, and reduce the stress on staff from both workload and customer frustration.
In addition to using a computer or mobile device to reserve a parking pass through the YourPassNow reservation system, Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks will offer a phone number to assist those without Internet access in making a reservation. YourPassNow works without the need to download an app and with any browser or mobile device use. Once reserved, parking pass can be printed or saved immediately. The park pass is also emailed to the customer. Mayo Beach Park rangers will scan the electronic or printed tickets before visitors enter the park.
“The passes will help control traffic on residential roads that weren’t built for such sustained use,” said Jessica Leys, Recreation and Park Director. “Accessibility is a high priority for the department. There will be English and Spanish-language versions and multiple ways to secure a reservation. Our intent is to allow accessibility for all people, not just those that have a smartphone or have a computer at home but anybody that wants to come to the park.”
The YourPassNow reservation system was spearheaded by NIC and the National Park Service to make entrance passes to national parks available for purchase online instead of the traditional paper-based, in-person method. In 2020 alone, YourPassNow sold more than 211,000 digital passes. YourPassNow has deployed in Wisconsin, New Jersey, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Maryland as well as more than 150 federal sites, including Grand Canyon National Park, Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Everglades National Park among others.
You can reserve passes for Mayo Beach Park by visiting YourPassNow.com and selecting Mayo Beach Park from the drop-down menu.