The Future of Intelligent Parking

They're in the ground all over the country, in parking lots and city streets. They're small and unobtrusive little guys, like small discs flat on the ground or the reflector bumps like you might drive over when crossing lanes. These are simple devices with a straightforward task, and they're about to have a huge impact on the way drivers in U.S. cities park, just by knowing when cars are parked over them and when they're not.

"It's an industry that’s been completely overlooked from a technology perspective," says Zia Yusuf. He's the CEO at Streetline, a company that specializes in implementing what are being called intelligent parking systems. These are wirelessly connected networks of sensors and computer systems that accurately track the availability of parking spaces and enable variable pricing that changes with demand. The idea is to better inform drivers about where they can find parking to help reduce congestion on streets, up to a third of which has been blamed on drivers searching for open parking spaces.