Partnership with energy supplier RheinEnergie AG brings stress-free parking, cleaner air and lighter traffic to city of Cologne
MUNICH, COLOGNE (June 2, 2020) – Cleverciti Systems, the leading smart parking provider, went live today with one of the world’s most innovative and modern parking guidance systems for residents and visitors in the Cologne district of Nippes, one of the busiest districts on the Rhine. Now, motorists can read the exact number and direction of the remaining free parking spaces along the streets on local LED displays at road intersections, avoiding unnecessary searching and idling, and improving the overall quality of life. The ‘blind’ search for parking spaces, which has contributed significantly to the traffic volume and emissions pollution, is now a thing of the past.
A Circ™ on a lamp post in Cologne-Nippes
The installation was made possible through a partnership with RheinEnergie AG, the fifth largest energy supplier in Germany, and supports the “SmartCity Cologne Program”, a platform that brings together private individuals, companies, and associations to promote climate protection and renewable energy initiatives. The Cleverciti smart parking system installation significantly reduces traffic and emissions, and is supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure as part of the program “Digitalization of Municipal Transport Systems”.
“We are proud that with our modern systems and services we have been able to implement one of the world’s most innovative and comprehensive parking guidance systems in the inner city area,” says Thomas Hohenacker, CEO and founder of Cleverciti Systems. “From now on, all motorists in Cologne-Nippes will have exact information on the availability of parking spaces and will be able to navigate to the best parking space in a targeted manner and without delay. We want to make a decisive contribution to making parking stress-free through this service, improving the shopping experience in the city and significantly reducing emissions.”
“The Cleverciti solution was optimally integrated into the existing infrastructure in Cologne-Nippes,” says Dr. Andreas Cerbe, Network Director of RheinEnergie. “We operate thousands of light poles in Cologne, which are now equipped with the smart sensors and LED displays with little effort to reduce traffic and emissions.”
A Circ™ on a lamp post in Cologne-Nippes
A total of 89 Cleverciti Sensors, which monitor around 800 parking spaces along the streets in the district, and 27 Circ™ LED displays are installed on existing lamp posts and seamlessly fit into the local environment. The system takes into account all data protection regulations in public areas. The sensors are designed using artificial intelligence (AI) and edge computing to provide precise data on parking space availability. These available spaces are displayed in real time on the omnidirectional LED displays and in a mobile app, and direct drivers to the nearest available parking space.
“A mobile app will also be available to motorists beginning the end of July, which will be provided by Cleverciti on behalf of RheinEnergie. It will show the current occupancy status of the parking spaces in Cologne-Nippes, navigate drivers to the nearest available parking space, and offer mobile payment options,” says Dr. Günther Picker, SVP for Strategic Partnerships and Corporate Development at Cleverciti Systems.
According to a survey by the National Platform Future of Mobility, intelligent parking solutions could reduce pollutant emissions by 900,000 tons per year in Germany alone.
For more information on the SmartCity Cologne initiative, please visit here. For more information on Cleverciti Smart Parking Systems, click here.