By CBS 5 News

A new pilot program exploring pay-by-cell-phone parking in San Francisco received backing from Mayor Gavin Newsom today. "Other cities around the world already use this technology, so there's no reason for us to not give our residents the same advantage," Newsom said in a written statement. The 90-day San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency program began Sept. 10 and is employing three different companies in test areas throughout the city in order to compare technologies, according to Newsom's office. Currently, parking meters in certain city-owned, off-street parking lots in the Richmond, Marina and West Portal districts are employing the technology.