The D.C. Department of Transportation announced that this summer it plans to expand the option to pay by cell phone to 17,000 parking meters across the city. But using your cell phone to track the time left on your meter and add minutes even when you’re not nearby won’t come free. A DDOT spokesman says the fee isn’t set yet but is expected to be 30 to 35 cents per transaction. For a meter that sets the price at $2 per hour, that could mean an extra 17 percent tacked onto the cost of an hour of parking. – Freeman Klopott
