Cleveland Announces New Parking App for Downtown Mobile application

CLEVELAND, Nov. 14, 2013 - Motorists in downtown Cleveland can now more easily find a parking space thanks to a pilot program to test a new parking guidance application, Parker™ by Streetline.

Also deployed on Case Western Reserve University's campus, Streetline's patented smart parking platform detects the presence of a car through a network of ultra-low power wireless sensors located in individual parking spaces. Data from these sensors, or from counting equipment installed in parking garages and lots, is then made available in real time via various cloud-based applications, such as Parker, the leading mobile app for consumers, and — soon — in-car navigation systems. Earlier this year, Streetline introduced ParkerMap™, an embeddable map widget that allows merchants, universities, cities, and parking providers to easily showcase nearby parking options via any website.

The initial deployment is in the heart of downtown Cleveland. Right next to the Quicken Loans Arena and the Progressive Field, the area is frequented by visitors to restaurants, shops, and offices. In an effort to help reduce the congestion and frustration caused by searching for parking, the City has partnered with Streetline to test this technology and offer parking guidance to motorists.
"By deploying this cutting-edge smart parking technology, the City of Cleveland has taken a great step towards becoming a smarter city," said Zia Yusuf, CEO of Streetline. "Using sensor-enabled applications, the City can now rethink one of the most pressing challenges in an urban setting – finding and managing parking."
Similar to the way in-car navigation systems direct you to your destination, the Parker app displays nearby parking options. In addition to an easy-to-use search and intuitive visual map, Parker includes a hands-free option that provides an audible cue when available parking is nearby.

Some additional features of Parker include:

Real-time availability of select on-street parking spaces
Hands-free voice navigation system that guides drivers to parking using an audible cue when available parking is nearby
Ability to toggle between availability and price, including real-time updates as prices are changed or updated
Easy access to rates, hours, and time limits for both on-street spaces (both metered and unmetered) and off-street parking facilities where available
Ability to enter an address or search by points of interest including airports, universities, shopping centers, featured neighborhoods, transit, and hospitals
The ability to enter an address within Parker and view parking options nearest to that destination

Downtown Cleveland merchants can also reap the benefits of parking guidance with Streetline's ParkerMap. The ParkerMap is a free map tool that can be embedded on any website and displays the same information that is seen in the mobile app, Parker—the real-time street availability as well as the static information for surrounding garages and lots. It serves as a useful communication tool for merchants to notify visitors to their website of the parking environment near their establishment.

For more information and to download the free Parker app, visit http://www.theparkerapp.com/.

To create your very own ParkerMap, visit http://www.theparkerapp.com/parkermap.
To learn more about the availability of Parker on the Case Western Reserve University Campus, visit http://www.streetline.com/2013/08/case-western-reserve-university-tests-smart-campus-parking-system/.