Cities must get smart about parking

One of the biggest influencers when it comes to the way residents and visitors view a city and its infrastructure is the ease of travel and parking. Whether drivers are headed to work downtown on a Monday morning, touring the nightlife on a Friday evening or attending a weekend sports game, the desire to quickly and efficiently locate an open parking space is typically top of mind.

But this isn’t always easy, as various challenges make parking in a city complicated. Municipalities face the balance of wanting to keep residents happy while also providing a welcoming atmosphere to out-of-towners when an influx of traffic occurs. And as cities in the United States continue to grow — population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show that San Antonio, Texas, adds more than 60 people a day on average — the parking process will only become more complex.

With the elimination of parking minimums popping up around the country, the key for cities in the United States becomes prioritizing smart parking management for the lots and garages that currently exist. There is an overabundance of spaces in numerous cities, such as New York and Philadelphia, but with improper and inefficient management, these critical assets quickly lose their value.

A crucial component that’s typically missing in today’s city parking environments is guidance. In a study conducted by the International Parking Institute in 2018, 43 percent of respondents said the demand for guidance systems to help drivers find parking was one of the top emerging trends in parking for the year.

By implementing an integrated, intelligent parking management solution, cities can guide drivers to the closest available parking space, rather than requiring them to circle around endlessly after being turned away at the nearest option. Real-time updates with reliable and live information captured from sensors on light posts facilitate intelligent parking decisions that are based on data, not luck.

This kind of parking management solution would be especially beneficial for a city when dealing with a major sporting event, such as the recent Super Bowl held in Atlanta. Ahead of the game, officials prepared for the remarkable amount of traffic expected, which included a possible 150,000 out-of-town guests and more than one million attendees during the 10-day span of events. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport also saw a record-breaking number of passengers the day after the game.

A smart parking management solution would not only improve the flow of traffic for drivers who attended the game, but it would also provide operators with enhanced monitoring and insight into the various parking operations around the city. This would then enable officials to ensure the proper protocols are being followed and adjust aspects where necessary.

In order for cities to convey that they care about their residents and visitors, they must take into consideration today’s parking challenges and optimize the experience for all involved, which begins by leveraging a smart parking management solution. Learn more about how your city can benefit from Cleverciti’s technology.