What Happened?
From mobile apps to license plate scanning, parking technology is becoming more convenient for both municipalities and individual drivers. Take advantage of these new innovations to cut costs and increase overall efficiency.
LA’s Express Park
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation recently launched an innovative parking program – LA Express Park – which manages 6,300 public parking spots in key neighborhoods throughout the city. Each parking spot has wireless sensors and smart meter pay stations that will accept credit cards, debit cards or cash.
LA Express Park’s technology can track each parking spot’s:
- Frequency of use
- Availability
- Demand – for adjusting parking rates periodically
The wireless sensors upload real-time parking spot data to the program’s website and smartphone apps – Parker and ParkMe – allowing drivers to locate open spots and view prices. Express Park aims to using its variable pricing feature to ensure several spots are always open throughout the neighborhoods to alleviate traffic congestion.
In addition, the city is managing 27 digital street signs in downtown LA that inform drivers of traffic congestion and parking spots available in municipal lots and garages. A newly added 511 call-in site was created to offer parking information pertaining to the parking management system.
Pay-By-Plate
Another convenient parking accessory is pay-by-plate technology that make license plate numbers part of the payment process. Pittsburgh launched a pay-by-plate system in 2012 that asks drivers for their license plate number, credit or debit information, or cash. There is no print-out sheet to display in the dashboard, as the license plate has been registered for parking.
Because the system was easier for both the city and driving residents, Pittsburgh reported a significant increase in parking revenue while the number of tickets issued declined. The technology made it easier for drivers to pay for their parking spots, and therefore less people were ticked for illegal parking.
Pollution Surcharge
Madrid has led the way in deploying a surcharge to help curb pollution. Madrid passed an ordinance last fall to charge drivers entering the city’s center with personal vehicles who had not paid for a spot in an official parking lot. The goal was to encourage less people to drive downtown – which in turn reduced traffic congestion, pollution and made the neighborhood safer and more walker-friendly.
Each motorist without an official spot entering downtown Madrid will be fined $115. The entry points of the four main downtown zones have been outfitted with cameras to capture car information that triggers a ticket to the owner. The charge is part of an overall goal to pedestrianize the city by 25 percent while increasing access to public transit and boosting tourism.
Local Focus
Many cities are also implementing parking fees that directly benefit local residents. Miami Beach offers a lower parking rate for residents than non-residents, with the help of a pay-by-plate system. Because local residents pay taxes and must park in the area regularly, lower rates seem justified, CityLab reported.
Furthermore, Ventura, California; installed parking meters to collect revenue on local parking spots that, when collected, goes directly back into projects within the same neighborhood. Parking revenue has been allocated toward local safety patrols, public Wi-Fi hotspots and other projects that local residents can enjoy, CityLab reported.
Price of Parking
Gov1 has reported on a growing number of parking projects designed to generate revenue, reduce congestion and increase efficiency for the city and residents.