ParkMe Launches Real-Time Parking Solutions For LA & Santa Monica Drivers
Based in Santa Monica, California and founded by Sam Friedman and Alex Israel, ParkMe, a leading provider of parking information to navigation companies and smartphones to simplify parking using dynamic and real-time parking data has partnered with Los Angeles and Santa Monica cities to help motorists find available parking quickly.
Partnership to help motorists find parking quickly
Born and raised in Los Angeles Sam Friedman, CEO and co-founder of ParkMe said getting parking has always been a problem in the city and he had to rely on luck to find a parking spot. But now technology will solve that.
Friedman said, “It has been an incredible experience working with the city of Los Angeles to further our mission and provide the best parking solution for drivers, helping them park quickly and more efficiently through intelligent, real-time information.”
Real-time parking solution
He added that through the partnership, drivers in Los Angeles will be able to fully experience ParkMe’s unique real-time parking solution hence save time and money by finding the closest and cheapest parking available.
The app aspires to transform the commute of local residents by sharing real-time hourly rates and will optimize transportation operations and alleviate the parking woes of Los Angeles County.
LA’s Eric Garcetti 13th District Council member also commented the partnership as a move to root out the parking problem in LA.
Cut traffic, grow business
He said, “Circling around for an open spot not only drives people crazy, it can generate up to 30 percent of traffic congestion in busy areas. ParkMe will reduce stress for Angelenos, reduce traffic, and help businesses. Innovative solutions like ParkMe are exactly what we need more of in government.”
Works in over 25,000 worldwide locations
The free app collects and aggregates data from both on-street and off-street parking for more than 25,000 worldwide locations in more than 500 cities, 19 countries and three continents. In LA, ParkMe has been engaged by the Los Angeles’ Department of Transportation (LADOT) to increase the program’s spot-finding abilities by adding all of downtown’s public parking lots and garages to LA Express Park’s real-time parking pricing and availability information.
LA Express Park, a year-long demonstration project uses demand-based parking pricing and real-time parking guidance to reduce traffic congestion and pollution in Downtown Los Angeles. It has wireless sensors in each of Downtown’s 6,000 metered parking spaces and is supported by Caltrans and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Over US$ 18 in funding
ParkMe will communicate information about parking meter pricing and occupancy, hours of operation, methods of payment, and direct entrance points to garage from the LA Express Park website, ParkMe’s own free iOS app, and www.ParkMe.com.Transportation Authority supported by $15 million in grants from the Federal Highway Administration and $3.5 million in matching City funds.
Dan Mitchell, a senior transportation engineer with LADOT says drivers can easily find their won parking but ParkMe analyzes data and develops a dynamic pricing engine for LA Express Park and also displays the rates and availability of space to customers.
Intelligent parking
Mitchell explains, “Helping drivers to navigate their myriad of parking options is an invaluable tool to save time and park smarter in Downtown L.A..”
ParkMe will also power Santa Monica’s intelligent parking which has over 13,436 parking spaces in 26 lots and 12 structures in addition to 5,967 single-space, on–street parking meters.
Drivers from Santa Monica and Los Angeles Cities will now access real-time availability of all parking meters, and display occupancy for the public facilities through ParkMe’s mobile apps, GPS or in-car navigation systems.
