Those living in cities are more than familiar with circling blocks for parking spots, unable to find one. New York City, however, is testing a solution that’s been tried in San Francisco. NYC will be utilizing small sensors placed on the ground in parking spots which will transmit information on whether or not a parking spot is available. The information will be available for viewing on web-based devices such as smart phones.
New York City Testing Parking Sensors
Regarding the tests, Scott Gastel, Deputy Press Secretary for the NYC Department of Transportation had this to say:
“The technology is still developing and we plan on reporting general parking availability that is near real time for a specific block — for example, ‘30 percent of parking is available on a specific block … DOT will be testing the accuracy and timeliness of the data.”
The pilot test is taking place in the Bronx, with vendors of the sensors paying for the installation of the sensors, plus labor costs. Though the sensors have been successful in San Francisco, the harsh New York winters may play a role in whether or not they are effective year-round. If successful, the program may expand to other boroughs of NYC.
If these street-based sensors are displaying information to be found on a smartphone, could they be a safety risk, as well as encourage law-breaking in New York State?
I can see a snow plow ripping them up! They could be a safety issue as a driver is looking at the phone versus the road.