Looking for a parking place can be both frustrating and time consuming. In Norwalk, CT, people looking for parking in its urban areas will be the first in Connecticut to be able to find open parking spaces instantly via an app on their smart phones, saving time and improving their parking experience. The Norwalk Parking Authority officially launched the technology in its downtown South Norwalk area on Tuesday, October 14th, with Norwalk’s Mayor, Chamber of Commerce President, its technology partners, elected officials from Norwalk and representatives of area businesses and other regional cities present.
The system works via wireless sensors that are embedded in each parking space to detect whether or not the space is occupied. Data from each sensor is relayed via wireless to the cloud and pushed into an easy-to-use app showing real-time parking availability. CASE Parking, a parking data solutions provider, will collect occupancy data from the lots and garages. Streetline, the leading global provider of sensor-based smart parking technology, has outfitted the on-street parking spaces with sensors. Data from both systems will be streamed directly into Streetline's mobile app, Parker™.
Earlier this year, the Parking Authority implemented the first phase of its Smart Parking plan with real-time parking availability information at the South Norwalk Railroad Station Garage online at www.norwalkpark.org. This information, as well as other parking facilities such as the Maritime Garage, and metered spots, will be integrated into the new smart parking system in the near future.
“By staying at the forefront of technology, the Norwalk Parking Authority is improving the parking experience for our customers,” says Julius Hayward, Chairman of the Norwalk Parking Authority. “It is another indication of the Parking Authority’s commitment to efficiently manage parking to support Norwalk as a great place to live, work and visit.”
People can access the Parker™ app via their smart phones, or at www.norwalkpark.org/smartparking.