Have you ever been driving around Hollywood, CA and wished there was a better way to find a parking spot when you are crunched for time? Have you ever wondered which meters and parking spots take credit card vs. cash? Have you wanted to know how long the limits for parking meters are in a certain location? If the previous question set applies to you, there may be an app called "Parker" that has just been developed just for this purpose.
Frustrated by the increasing amount of drivers circling given areas numerous times and increasing congestion during peak traffic hours, Hollywood, CA city hall has developed the parker app for iPhone users in order to help them find parking more efficiently. According to their estimates, one third or more drivers in certain locations are simply driving to find a parking spot. UCLA students noted that over 950,000 miles are traveled each year in some areas by motorists simply looking for parking.
The new Parker application solves this problem in many ways. First the app uses a combination of GPS and curbside sensors, and integrates this information into a map of popular Hollywood areas to give the user a virtual map of open parking spots and/or how long a spot will remain occupied before being over the parking limit.
Finding parking in Hollywood,CA has never been easier, first you simply open the application and second you look on the map around the given area of interest you are trying to find parking for and viola - you can see what parking spots are available. This will decrease the time spent searching for a parking spot.
The second feature of the app is to inform parkers what type of currency is accepted at given parking areas and how long the alloted parking limits may be. This prevents parkers from pulling into a spot and subsequently leaving due to lack of proper change and/or inadequate time for their stay. The app also informs the user about the amount of time each unit of change will buy them, helping the user to have the correct amount of change ready.
The application most importantly sets the standard for cities around the US and around the Globe. The ability for someone to know what areas are parkable and at what time will reduce both traffic congestion as well as the secondary cost of time spent in commute for those who are impacted by these parking circlers.
The decrease in pollution and gas usage will improve the societal cost and personal stress level of peak hour commuting tremendously. The ability to integrate all aspects of life using an application and an iPhone makes the possibilities for this application and others like it endless.
