Better Parking through Technology

Without a smartphone of my own, I sometimes feel at a loss while I’m out and about the city. I can’t use Yelp to find a recommended cafe nearby or even make sure I’m headed in the right direction with the help of Google Maps. Luckily, I’m usually joined by someone who carries no fewer than 2 smartphones (and usually more like 4) with him at all times.

The news coming out of San Francisco makes me think twice about getting a smartphone of my very own. The City of San Francisco has partnered with the company Streetline to update the chore of finding parking with newfangled technology. With new “bumps” being installed along city streets, the city can track the comings and goings of cars in and out of parking spots. With the help of “smart dust,” that data is relayed to a smartphone-accessible website and to street-level displays. Paying meters by phone is in the works too.

So the next time I drive in to work and tour the streets of DUMBO, I’ll dream about the technology that could point me to the elusive parking spots in the area.

And BTW, that is my lovely parking job in the photo. I probably could have done better with Streetline’s help.