Downtown Royal Oak: This Week in Parking
November 3, 2025
- Location scouting: Staff from the City of Royal Oak's new parking vendors, ParkMobile and Flowbird, were onsite last week. They fully toured the downtown to determine optimal locations for each pay station based on ground conditions, sun exposure, and foot traffic.
- Configurations underway: The pay stations and mobile/text-to-pay zones are being configured with Royal Oak's information and rates.
- Pay station installations begin soon: You can expect to see the installations of pay stations begin in December. Remember, you won't need to pay them until January.
- Old pay station removals: Within the coming weeks, Walker Electric plans to begin removing the outgoing MPS pay stations and equipment in and around City Hall and the municipal complex--including in the lobbies of the Police Department, 44th District Court, and the porch of the Farmers Market.
Background
In 2025, Royal Oak City Commissioners approved the implementation of a new parking system featuring ParkMobile and Flowbird. New technology will be installed November through December, with the new system launching downtown-wide on Jan. 2.
ParkMobile is widely used throughout our area, including in Detroit and Birmingham. The same app is used for all—so if you’ve used ParkMobile to park for a game in Detroit, you’re already set. Similarly, Flowbird meters are used in Detroit and Ferndale, and are highly rated for their ease of use. The meters were overwhelmingly favored by users during a series of technology-testing open houses held by the City in May.
Keep up with the changes in real time by following www.romi.gov/parking.