The race to find parking in San Francisco is about to get a tad more sophisticated.
Rather than drive around aimlessly looking for a spot, you'll be able to look at your smartphone or a street sign to find an empty space. And then you and all the other people who see that space can make illegal
U-turns and race to it.
Come Fall, San
Francisco is installing wireless sensors in 6,000 of its 24,000 metered spaces. When a spot is empty or occupied, each sensor will communicate with a nearby streetlamp containing a gateway, which will transmit the data to an internet network. Then, a message on a map on your smartphone screen or a display on a street sign will inform you of an open space.
This isn't the first time we've seen San Francisco try to alleviate parking troubles with wireless technology. Earlier in the year, the city implemented a pay-by-phone system in 1,000 metered spaces. Though it sounds pretty convenient -- sparing you the need to carry around quarters in your pockets -- only about 200 people are using this service regularly. (Perhaps because some people have experienced problems with the technology.) Still, 20 percent is enough for the city to consider spreading the pay-by-phone project citywide and take the wireless approach a step further.
Can’t Find a Parking Spot? Check Smartphone [NY Times]
[Via Engadget]
(Photo credit: Agentakit/Flickr)
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