Salem drivers who pay for downtown parking by phone must switch to a new version of the city's Beep Beep Salem app by Dec. 31 or lose mobile meter access.
The city announced Wednesday, Sept. 30 that the updated app is available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. The old version will be fully discontinued Dec. 31, 2026.
The new app keeps every feature of the original and adds what the city called improved customer service and faster processing times. The announcement did not explain what technical or vendor change prompted the update.
How to switch
In app stores, two versions of Beep Beep Salem appear side by side for now. The new one has a full-color icon with a red "NEW" banner. The old one shows a gray icon.
Existing users must delete the old app before downloading the new one. New users will only see the replacement version. Anyone with questions can email [email protected].
Where the app works
Beep Beep Salem covers all on-street pay stations in the city, including meters near the Oregon State Capitol, Willamette University and the Salem-Willamette Valley Airport. A $0.35 transaction fee applies each time, on top of the $1.50 hourly rate downtown or the $10 daily rate at the airport.
Credit and debit cards (Visa and MasterCard) work at the pay stations with no transaction fee. Coins are accepted too, and are required for parking durations under one hour, according to the city's parking page.
Paid on-street parking applies daily between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., except Sundays and city-observed holidays. Free visitor parking remains available in the city's downtown parking structures.
Parking revenue context
Salem's paid on-street parking system launched in July 2025. At a downtown community forum on Jan. 29, City Manager Krishna Namburi said the program brought in about $1.2 million in its first six months, putting it ahead of the pace needed to meet the city's $1.4 million full-year budget projection.
"The parking fund is doing well," Namburi said at the forum, as reported by Salem Business Journal.
The Dec. 31 deadline is the only milestone the city has announced. Instructional videos, a downtown parking map and answers to common questions are posted on the Beep Beep Salem website.
