Skip to main content

New Zealand trials parking bay sensor technology

Wellington City Council in New Zealand has begun to trial Smart Parking’s bay sensor technology with the installation of an initial 72 sensors. On completion of a successful trial, which is scheduled to run to the end of April, the council plans a US$1.05 million rollout of 4,000 sensors across the inner city streets. The parking solution will also include Smart Parking’s SmartApp which will allow motorists to identify streets with available bays and avoid driving around searching for a spot on roads which
February 19, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
RSSWellington City Council in New Zealand has begun to trial Smart Parking’s bay sensor technology with the installation of an initial 72 sensors.  On completion of a successful trial, which is scheduled to run to the end of April, the council plans a US$1.05 million rollout of 4,000 sensors across the inner city streets.

The parking solution will also include Smart Parking’s SmartApp which will allow motorists to identify streets with available bays and avoid driving around searching for a spot on roads which are already full.

The move will allow parking wardens to get real-time information about where people are overstaying. Equipped with this information, they will have more time to guide and provide advice to motorists by helping to direct customers looking for parking to nearby available casual parking places.

The system could also provide an opportunity for ‘dynamic parking, where the price would drop as more parking spaces became available.

“Early data from the trial suggest it is very successful” council spokesman Richard MacLean said. “Sensors have already been used in New Plymouth but technology has moved on considerably, and the equipment proposed for Wellington can do much more”.

Larry Eade, Smart Parking’s New Zealand head of Operations commented “The move will make finding a parking space easier whilst reducing congestion and improving motorist satisfaction in the process”.

Related Content

  • Taking the hassle out of parking
    April 29, 2015
    A team of senior electrical and computer engineers from Rice University in Houston, Texas, has developed a new parking technology called ParkiT, with the aim of making it easier to find a parking space in a crowded car park. The team claims the new system is cheaper than sensor technology currently being used and would provide car park managers and attendants with real time information on available parking spaces. That information could then be shared with drivers through electronic signs or a driver-fri
  • Wellington council to install 15 EV chargers in residential areas
    April 5, 2019
    Wellington City Council in New Zealand is to install 15 electric vehicle (EV) chargers in residential areas in a bid to lower transport emissions. The council is hoping that the move will enable people who do not have off-street parking and are unable to charge their vehicle at home to buy and operate an EV. Chris Calvi-Freeman, the council’s transport portfolio leader, says: “Road transport currently contributes 38% of the city’s emissions. We want to help Wellingtonians to make good, environmental
  • San Francisco plans express lane network across Bay Area
    February 25, 2015
    Colin Sowman looks at plans to convert 240km (150 miles) of HOV/car pool lanes. While some authorities have debated the conversion of high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) into express or managed lanes allowing toll paying single-occupant vehicles to avoid congestion, San Francisco’s Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) has acted. It is converting 240km (150 miles) of HOV/car pool lanes to express lanes and last fall the MTC’s Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority selected TransCore to d
  • Control rooms adapt to tech changes
    July 8, 2019
    From IP-based systems to an increasing array of choice, traffic and transit management has changed a lot in the last few years. Adam Hill talks to some of the leading players in the control room business