Why Cities Choose Smart Parking Solutions from Streetline This white paper examines the impact of parking on the transportation ecosystem as well as the quality of life in a city. Technological solutions are offered to address parking congestion, which is estimated at 30% of city traffic. Streetline's sensors and consumer & municipal applications provide the tools a city needs to implement smarter parking strategies.

1. Becoming a Smart City
Why cities choose Smart Parking
solutions from Streetline

2. Contents
Parking: One of the Great Unsolved City Problems .......................................................... 3
And, it’s Not Getting Better Any Time Soon ...................................................................... 3
Cities Want to Make Smarter Decisions ............................................................................ 4
Information Can Help .......................................................................................................... 6
There’s an Opportunity to Innovate ................................................................................... 6
Streetline: Providing New and Better Services to the Citizen .......................................... 6
A Reduction in Congestion Means Economic Growth ...................................................... 7
Using Parking Management to Revitalize Cities ................................................................ 7
Streetline: the Leader in Smart Parking............................................................................. 8
Bibliography ......................................................................................................................... 9
2

3. The global gridlock crisis will “stifle economic growth and our ability to deliver food and
healthcare … [and] our quality of life will be significantly compromised.” 1
— Bill Ford
Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company
Parking: One of the Great Unsolved City Problems Today Future
There is no such thing as free parking. According to Mark Global 6 billion 9 billion (2044)
Delucchi of the University of California at Davis, Americans Population
spend as much to subsidize off-street parking as we do Passenger 800 million 2 — 3 billion
on Medicare or national defense2. It’s estimated that Cars (2050)
99% of parking in the United States is free, while the true City Dwellers 50% of population 60% of population
costs of parking (i.e. construction, maintenance, etc.) are (3 billion) (5 billion in 2030)
passed along to consumers, employees and taxpayers via
increased higher prices for goods and services, reduced Today, cities consume over three-quarters of the world’s
wages and higher taxes.3 Moreover, the additional driving energy and produce about 80% of the world’s carbon
encouraged by free parking increases traffic congestion, emissions.5 According to a 2011 report by Harvard Business
air pollution and accidents. To fuel this extra driving, we School (HBS), “Research has shown that reducing
import more oil, and pay for it with borrowed money. transportation congestion and improving the availability
of water contribute to economic growth and improved
In most cities, the demand for curbside parking far competitiveness. Despite these facts, city managers
exceeds the supply. In cities like New York, this is recognize that the demand for services is increasing at a
especially the case with curbside parking that is free or faster rate than services can be delivered. Unless changes
priced 10 to 15 times less than garage rates4. As a result of are made, the quality of life in cities will decline.”6
this mismatch, bargain-seeking drivers waste an average
of 3 – 14 minutes looking for parking. Once they find these Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford agrees.
coveted spaces, they do their best to stay put. Ford believes the answer to this crisis is not to build more
roads, but to build a smarter transportation system that
The saturation of cheap or free curbside parking causes makes use of real-time data and connected cars. Ford
traffic congestion, wasted gas and increased carbon predicts that the global gridlock crisis will “stifle economic
emissions. Cheap street parking encourages people to growth and our ability to deliver food and healthcare …
drive solo rather than carpool, walk, bike, or take public [and] our quality of life will be significantly compromised.”
transportation which means more people on the roads
and more traffic looking for parking. These issues impact Some argue that additional parking will result in more
not only our environment, but also a city’s economy and traffic because more vehicles will travel into the city.
quality of life for its residents. However, many transportation experts believe that the
issue is not the availability of parking that causes gridlock,
And, it’s Not Getting Better Any Time Soon but the availability of free or underpriced parking that is
As the global population continues to grow at a steady the problem. If drivers know there’s a chance they’ll find
pace, more and more people are moving to cities at an that ever-elusive cheap metered space, versus a much
even faster pace. As a result, the number of cars on the more expensive space in the garage, they’ll keep circling
road is expected to grow exponentially. until they find it. Effective managed parking encourages
transit use, carpooling, walking and cycling and thus
2
Ostrow, Adam, CNN. March 3, 2011. “How we’ll beat traffic and find
improved traffic flow.7
parking spots in the future” http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/
innovation/03/03/parking.future.mashable/index.html
2
CMAP 2040. Impacts of Parking Strategies. http://www.cmap.illinois.
gov/strategy-papers/parking/impacts-of-parking-strategies 5
Harvard Business School. Investing in Cities of the 21st Century:
Urbanization, Infrastructure and Resources.
3
Donald Shoup, The High Cost of Free Parking. APA Planners Press, 2005
6
HBS, ibid.
4
2008. “Driven to Excess: What Under-priced Curbside Parking Costs
the Upper West Side.” New York: Transportation Alternatives. Available at 7
Tri State Transportation Campaign. Parking Management Report.
www.transalt.org/files/newsroom/reports/driven_to_excess.pdf http://www.tstc.org/reports/parking.pdf
3

4. Cities Want to Make Smarter Decisions
Studies Show … A Siemens-commissioned study of more than 500 city
There have been several studies that reveal managers, municipal employees and private company
environmental and economic costs of inefficient executives around the world found that transportation
parking policies. was rated the highest priority for investment, ahead of
environmental protection and even education. From a
1) According to a study by UCLA Professor parking perspective, there’s a great deal of opportunity
Donald Shoup, who synthesized 70 years of for improvement. Several urban planning experts argue
research on the subject, between 8 and 74% of that cities that need to set a price for curbside parking
traffic in congested downtown areas is caused by so that about 15 percent of spaces are vacant. Curbside
people searching for parking. parking that is free or priced far below garage rates results
in gridlock, reduced sales for merchants, and lost revenue
2) A recent study of New York traffic estimates for the city. If curbside parking is priced effectively,
that 28% of drivers in Manhattan and 45% in people will consider alternative means of transportation
Brooklyn were cruising for parking. or alternative times and thus there will be less of a need
for drivers to cruise for parking.8
3) Studies in major cities (including San
Francisco, Sydney, New York and London) Moreover, many cities need to be more efficient with their
estimate that drivers spend 3.5 to 14 minutes enforcement of parking violations. For example, the San
searching for a space each time they park. Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency had estimated
that fewer than 5% of parking violations in the city were
4) In Los Angeles, a study of a 15-block area actually cited. Moreover, a Streetline study of 200 parking
estimates that drivers circling for parking cause meters in San Francisco showed that 45% of the meters
950,000 excess vehicle miles per year. This were unpaid. As a result, in many cities, metered-space
translates to 47,000 gallons in wasted gas and saturation can be 90% to nearly 100%, which results in a
730 tons of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas.2 great deal of congestion, driver frustration and lost sales for
merchants. By improving compliance, parking enforcement
5) In New York, a similar study monitoring a productivity, and providing new payment options not only
15 block area in Manhattan found that drivers can cities increase revenue and reduce enforcement costs,
cruise an average seven blocks (.37 miles) for 15 they can also reduce gridlock by ensuring sufficient space
minutes to find a metered parking space. During turnover so that parking is available.
peak periods, before lunch and from 6pm to 8pm,
they’ll cruise an average of 14 blocks (.7 miles)
before finding a parking spot. As a result, lack of
available parking causes about 366,000 excess
vehicle miles of travel, 325 tons of carbon dioxide
greenhouse gas, $129,561 in fuel and 50,000
hours of wasted time annually.
2
Donald Shoup, The High Cost of Free Parking. APA Planners
Press, 2005
8
Donald Shoup, The High Cost of Free Parking. APA Planners Press, 2005
4

5. Smart Parking Ecosystem Smart Parking Ecosystem
Consumers & Motorists
Private Parking System Integrators
Providers
NEW SOURCES OF DATA
City & Department of Merchants
Transportation
NEW INSIGHT FOR ACTION
Sensors & Apps Meters & Smart Parking
Revenue Management & Parking Operations
The Smart Parking Ecosystem that connects the parking to the information they need to make their lives easier
providers, merchants, motorists, and technology will and more enjoyable. The systems in a Smart City — from
enable Smart Cities to speak to us by sensing and transportation to utilities — speak to one another, and most
detecting parking activity in real time. Smart Cities close importantly to the people who live and work there. They
the information gap that prevents us from measuring allow city managers, workers, and citizens the opportunity
activities and making informed decisions to improve to work collectively to improve urban life.
operations. They connect residents and visitors
5

6. Information Can Help Sensing technology is more advanced than ever before —
and when used as part of an ultra-low power wireless mesh
At a recent Harvard Business School conference, experts network give us the ability to connect citizens and cities
concurred “smart, connected communities are one way with the information to make people’s lives easier and
to obtain efficiency gains and to improve the standard of more efficient. How do we make a city talk to us? And how
living. In many communities, the energy, transportation, do we leverage that information to make our cities more
and safety systems operate within silos with no efficient? Building and sustaining Smart Cities depends
connectivity. When systems become interconnected in on two vital components:
real time, however, efficiency gains are possible. Many
cities are creating a meshed fabric of services related to 1) the ability to “sense” vehicle occupancy and driver
traffic, employment, and police services.”9 activities; and
2) software that collects this data and reports back
At a March 2011 TED conference, Bill Ford shared his to mobile devices and websites so that motorists
vision of a future where all cars are connected and can more easily find parking and city managers
speak to each other. He pictures a future where people can make quicker, better informed decisions.
can reserve a parking spot at their destination and be
automatically directed to the quickest route based on Streetline: Providing New and Better Services to
real-time data being sent by the cars driving in front of the Citizen
them. “The solution will not be more cars, more roads
or a new rail system. It will be found in a global network Streetline provides cities real-time
of interconnected solutions. I know we can develop the status of every parking space — at
technology that will make this work. But we have to be curbside, in lots and in garages —
willing to go out there and find the solutions.” allowing cities to optimize revenue,
spend less time and money
At Streetline, we share that vision, beginning with parking. managing resources, improve
We are helping to build a Smart Parking Ecosystem productivity, and reduce congestion
that integrates all the key players in the system: from and emissions. Streetline helps
motorists to parking lots and meters to the merchants remotely manage a city’s parking
and cities — even universities, airports, and shopping assets in real-time and greatly
centers — managing the true supply and demand of improves the efficiency of
parking will enable cities and motorists to make smart operations for the benefit of residents, visitors, parking
transportation decisions. enforcers, merchants and management.
Streetline can help you on your way to becoming a Smart
There’s an Opportunity to Innovate
City in three fundamental ways.
Parking is a $25 billion industry that’s seen little innovation
1) Mobile Motorist Guidance — Parker™
in the last 75 years. While there has been a great deal of
Streetline’s Parker app saves drivers the frustration of
investment in creating energy-efficient hybrid and electric
circling the block by guiding them directly to available
vehicles, this still doesn’t solve the problem of global
parking — even in congested neighborhoods and tourist
gridlock. A car is a car — even if electric — it still causes the
destinations. The app will show how many spaces are
same burden on urban gridlock that gas-powered cars
available on nearby blocks and direct them to the most
do … and, the need to park still exists.
likely block to find parking. Motorists can look at Parker
even before they leave the house and based on availability
decide what method to take to their destination — car,
9
HBS, Ibid
walk, public transport.
6

7. Parker is currently available for select smart phones and A Reduction in Congestion Means Economic Growth
compatible tablets, and in the future via in-car navigation
systems. Streetline does not promote accessing any In congested cities, shops and restaurants lose out on a
smart phone or its features or any other device while multitude of sales opportunities due to the lack of available
a vehicle is in motion and recommends the use of a parking. Their customer base is limited to mostly local
hands-free dashboard cradle for all devices. residents who can walk to their location for people from
outside the neighborhood don’t want to deal with the hassle
In addition to alerting drivers to available parking, Parker of looking for parking. As a result, urban merchants (many
also allows users to: of whom are independent small businesses) lose business
to large box stores in the suburbs who offer ample parking.
• Pay directly from your phone in 84 U.S. cities today
with more added all the time By increasing the available parking for visitors, local
• Use convenient reminders — set a timer that alerts merchants can see a dramatic increase in their customer
you when your meter is about to expire base. Instead of being just a neighborhood business, they
• Find your car — drop Google Maps pins, take can become a destination shop or restaurant and realize
pictures & add comments dramatic growth.
• Save parking history for easy access later
Streetline can help merchants make it easier for patrons
to find parking with the help of our Parker app by showing
2) Dynamic Parking Pricing & Parking Analytics
available parking information on their websites. They can
Many parking experts talk about the Goldilocks model of
also receive daily or weekly web-based reports on parking
parking pricing management: it shouldn’t be so inexpensive
turnover and occupancy.
that too few spaces are available or too expensive that
too many spaces are left open. With Streetline’s parking
By optimizing curbside parking prices, cities can help
sensing technology, you can monitor and analyze your
local merchants be more successful and see increased
city’s neighborhood parking patterns to better support the
revenue for the city. Not only will cities realize higher
varying populations — consumers and merchants, residents
parking revenue, they will also enjoy more sales tax
and visitors — while improving congestion and convenience.
revenue thanks to the increased economic development.
By analyzing this information, you can make more informed
With Streetline’s Enforcement Suite, cities can achieve
decisions about what parking should cost at specific times
this without increasing the number of officers. With
during the day and have the tools to enforce it.
these additional revenues, cities can invest back in the
neighborhoods by repairing roads and sidewalks, planting
3) Guided Parking Enforcement
trees, removing graffiti, and more.
Streetline’s Enforcement Suite helps cities better
understand the trends in parking violations with real-time
information and includes applications for those in city Using Parking Management to Revitalize Cities
operations, as well as mobile apps for those in the field,
This allows cities and parking personnel to spend their Cities understand that they are going to have to solve the
time far more efficiently and in some cases increase parking problem if they want to see economic growth.
productivity and efficiency as much as 150 percent. An example of one city on the forefront of used parking
Streetline Enforcement Suite includes two applications: management to revitalize their downtown is Old Pasadena
Streetline ME, a mobile application for Officers in the field, in Southern California back in 1993.10 Working with local
and Streetline Enforcement Supervisor, a web-based merchants, the city added parking meters to a depressed
application for managing the enforcement operation. area and used the revenues to purchase “street furniture
and trees, more police patrols, better lighting, more street
Douglas Kolozsvari & Donald Shoup. Access. Fall 2003. “Turning Small
10
Change Into Big Changes” http://www.walkablestreets.com/meter.htm
7

8. and sidewalk cleaning, pedestrian improvements, and Streetline: the Leader in Smart Parking
marketing (including maps to show local attractions and
parking facilities)”.11 As a result, the area was transformed Streetline collects and organizes live data from the real
from “skid row” to a premier shopping destination where world to support sustainable development and transform
local merchants saw a dramatic increase in safety and the way people live and work. With installations in select
their business. areas across California, District of Columbia, New Jersey,
New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah, we have the
Today, several other cities are turning to the next generation experience and expertise to help cities use Smart Parking
of parking technology to achieve similar goals. Los Angeles and become a smarter city.
is one of the first major cities looking to increase the
availability of public parking spaces and decreasing traffic To make Smart Parking a reality, we bring together all
congestion and pollution through smart parking solutions. aspects of parking management technology in one
According to Los Angeles City Council President Eric integrated system — from street-level sensors to mobile
Garcetti “sometimes it feels like more movie stars have apps, analytics and system management software — so
been discovered in Hollywood than parking spaces,” and the that you can truly understand and manage your city’s
City is now turning to Streetline to help address this issue. parking to make changes for the better.
After initial success with Streetline in the Hollywood area,
the LA Department of Transportation is now making this We are the industry leader in parking analytics, consumer
service available to residents and visitors to Studio City and guidance and mobile enforcement that will benefit
other parts of Los Angeles over the coming months.12 residents, visitors, local merchants and cities alike. Our
solutions offer a substantial return-on-investment, using
Other cities large and small are turning to Streetline the additional revenue to fund essential city programs
solutions to help alleviate traffic, increase city revenue, and services residents care most about.
and improve the livability of the city — from sensors to
analytics to motorist guidance. To learn more about Streetline, please visit
www.streetlinenetworks.com or contact us at
solutions@streetlinenetworks.com to arrange for an
account manager to call you.
11
CMAP , Ibid.
USA Today, 2/23,2011 “Streetline’s Parker iPhone app finds parking
12
spots”
8

9. Bibliography
CMAP 2040. Impacts of Parking Strategies. http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/strategy-papers/parking/impacts-of-parking-
strategies
Ford, Bill. “A Future Beyond Traffic Gridlock.” 2011. Ted Talks. http://www.ted.com/talks/bill_ford_a_future_beyond_
traffic_gridlock.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-06-21
Harvard Business School. March 3-4, 2011. Business and Environment Initiative: Investing in Cities of the 21st Century:
Urbanization, Infrastructure and Resources. http://www.hbs.edu/environment/docs/HBS-Investing-in-Cities-of-the-
21st-Century.pdf
Kolozsvari, Douglas & Donald Shoup. Access. Fall 2003. “Turning Small Change Into Big Changes” http://www.
walkablestreets.com/meter.htm
Litman Todd. 2006. Parking Management: Strategies, Evaluation and Planning. Summary of Parking
Management Best Practices. Chicago: APA Planners Press. Online: http://www.vtpi.org/park_man.pdf
Litman, Todd. 2008. Parking Pricing: Direct Charges for Using Parking Facilities. TDM Encylcopedia, Victoria
Transport Policy Institute. http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm26.htm, Accessed: 09/09/09.
New York Transportation Alternatives. 2007. “No Vacancy: Park Slope’s Parking Problem and How to Fix It.” New York:
Transportation Alternatives. Available at www.transalt.org/files/newsroom/reports/novacancy.pdf.
New York: Transportation Alternatives. 2008. “Driven to Excess: What Under-priced Curbside Parking Costs the Upper
West Side.” www.transalt.org/files/newsroom/reports/driven_to_excess.pdf
Ostrow, Adam, CNN. March 3, 2011. “How we’ll beat traffic and find parking spots in the future” http://www.cnn.
com/2011/TECH/innovation/03/03/parking.future.mashable/index.html
Schaller, Bruce. 2006. “Curbing Cars: Shopping, Parking and Pedestrian Space in SoHo.” New York: Transportation
Alternatives. Available at www.transalt.org/files/newsroom/reports/soho_curbing_cars.pdf.
Sfpark.org
Shoup, Donald. 2005. “The High Cost of Free Parking” http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-06-03/opinion/17379286_1_
parking-spaces-off-street-parking-free-parking
Shoup, Donald. The High Cost of Free Parking. APA Planners Press, 2005
Tri State Transportation Campaign. Parking Management Report. http://www.tstc.org/reports/parking.pdf
USA Today, 2/23,2011 “Streetline’s Parker iPhone app finds parking spots”
9