Community Corner
Parking App Now Includes 5,967 City Meters
"We have a lot of parking available in Santa Monica and this app makes it easier than ever to find parking," city official says.
A parking app for iPhones that shows real-time availability at public lots and structures was explaned to include the city's 5,967 on-street meters, the city announced Thursday.
"Our hope is that people will use the app to find parking in a tech-friendly and time-efficient way so that they have more time to do their shopping and celebrate the holidays," Santa Monica's Assistant Finance Director Don Patterson said in a statement.
Powered by Santa Monica-based ParkMe, the free app is called "Santa Monica Parking." An Android version should be available in the coming months.
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A less robust version of the app launched in February.
It now uses data supplied by Santa Monica's newly-installed "smart" parking meters, which communicate wirelessly with ground sensors.
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The sensors were expanded to all of the city's parking meters this year to prevent meter-feeding. They tell the meters to shut off when a car has parked beyond the posted time limit and to reset when a car leaves the space.
The app will base its parking selections based on what kind of car you drive and whether you'll willing to park farther from your destination to park in a cheaper space.
In October, the City Council lowered rates in lesser-used parking garages, such as the ones at the Main Library on Fifth Street and the Civic Center on Fourth Street with the hopes of enticing people to trek a few more blocks to decongest the typically-jammed garages.
“We have a lot of parking available in Santa Monica and this app makes it easier than ever to find parking," Patterson said.
In a press release, city officials reminded users not to use the app while driving.
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