 San Fransisco is installing a network of wireless sensors in the asphalt based on the "smart dust" technology to come out of UC Berkeley. Once in place, battery-operated "bumps" will not only relay information about open parking spots to drivers via street signs and smart phones, they'll also convey real-time information about congestion and traffic and flow to city planners.
Parking policy might seem like a minor matter, but the numbers tell a different story. Professor Donald Shoup, the godfather of parking reform, has conducted research showing that drivers cruising for parking are responsible for up to 30% of traffic in central business districts. In one small area studied, cruising burned an additional 47,000 gallons of gasoline per year.
Price increases inevitably encounter resistance from consumers. But if the promises of variable-price parking live up to the hype - reduced traffic, improved city services, and less time spent hunting for spots - this could end up being a change that residents demand.
SOURCELabels: carbon emissions, gas, parking, traffic, wireless |
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