Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa, City Council President Eric Garcetti, and Streetline CEO Zia Yusuf announced the Parker for iPhone App - the first app that gives drivers real-time parking information and a way to find open metered parking spaces and nearby garages.Comment from Wireless and Mobile News: There may be a problem.? Isn't it illegal to use your cell phone while driving?? You have to pull over to use your iPhone, but you may not find a spot..."Whoops, I ran into the truck because I was looking for a parking space on my iPhone!"? We also want to know if you are arrested for using the Parker app.? Can you wind up in the notorious LAPD Parker Center in downtown Los Angeles?
The Parker for iPhone App features a simple interface that gives users an instant, location-based map pinpointing the city blocks with the most available parking spaces.? Users can see which blocks have: more than four, more than two or less than two spots; as well as blocks with "rock star" parking - the areas closest with the most open spaces.? The app also delivers information about parking space time limits, pricing, and whether meters take credit cards or coins. ?It also will direct drivers to the nearest City parking garages as an alternative to street parking.?
Sensors to detect vacant spaces have been installed in about 3,000 spaces in Los Angeles city blocks that are located in Hollywood, Studio City and parts of Chinatown.
The app is based on Streetline's patented smart parking platform that detects the presence of a car through a network of ultra-low power wireless sensors located in each parking space.? This information is then transmitted back to mobile smart phones and web applications that give drivers a live, accurate picture of open parking spaces across a city.? The entire system helps cities, airports, universities and private organizations reduce costs, increase efficiencies, and alleviate the environmental impact of traffic caused by parking.
Studies estimate that more than 30 percent of city traffic is caused by drivers looking for parking, and Parker for iPhone dovetails Los Angeles' and Streetline's efforts to implement smart city technologies that make urban areas more livable, cleaner, and more efficient. Streetline smart parking solutions have been deployed in California and New York, and several U.S. cities will deploy its smart parking technology in 2011. ?
"We are excited that Los Angeles is the first city in the country to offer this unique app to residents and visitors," said Mayor Villaraigosa.? "By making parking easier, we can help people get where they are going faster, and reduce pollution and traffic congestion caused by drivers circling in hopes of finding an open spot."
"Sometimes it feels like more movie stars have been discovered in Hollywood than parking spaces.? This app will help drivers save time, reduce traffic and air pollution, and make visiting Hollywood even more enjoyable than it already is," said Council President Eric Garcetti.
"LADOT has been working hard to utilize new technologies like Streetline's to help connect the residents and visitors of Los Angeles with valuable information to make their lives easier," said Amir Sedadi, Interim General Manager of the City Los Angeles Department of Transportation.? "This new system will transform the parking and driving experience in Hollywood, and we look forward to rolling out this service to other parts of Los Angeles."
"We are excited to partner with the City of Los Angeles to launch this innovative service for locals and visitors in Hollywood," said Zia Yusuf, CEO of Streetline.? "We applaud Los Angeles for exploring and implementing smart parking solutions that can not only transform how people park, but also address the critical need to reduce traffic and pollution."
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