107 hours—that is how much time drivers in the U.S. spend looking for a parking space. In Europe, numbers vary between 60 and 90 hours per year. This is not only a colossal waste of time, but it also negatively impacts the environment and causes enormous economic losses. When drivers are unable to find a parking space, 34% resort to either parking their car illegally or canceling their planned activity altogether. 

Smart parking can remedy the situation. As a study pitting drivers using smart technology to find their parking space against those relying on sheer luck has shown, those using smart parking systems spent 43 percent less time driving. Innovative parking systems can be employed in a number of different environments, four of which have been outlined below. 

Smart Parking Use Case #1: Tourism Destination

While tourism is vitally important for many economies and regions around the world, popular destinations often struggle with an onslaught of visitors during the high seasons. One of the side effects is an increase in traffic, affecting not only a destinations’ popularity among visitors but also severely disrupting inhabitants’ daily lives. Visitor flows need to be steered in a way that tourists can easily find parking spaces at their destination while not decreasing the quality of life for inhabitants. 

The German “Tourismus-Agentur Lübecker Bucht” sought to devise a concept that would direct the 1.5 million day visitors per year along the coast efficiently. Those visitors usually head for the parking lots closest to the beaches, which fill up rapidly. Next, drivers will search aimlessly in adjacent parking lots or residential areas, inevitably causing congestion and traffics jams. 

To remedy this problem while also lowering CO2 emissions and providing a less stressful environment for residents and tourists alike, the tourism agency together with Cleverciti implemented a parking system to monitor real-time occupancy of parking lots close to a popular beach. This smart parking system allows visitors to find out ahead of time whether there are still parking spaces available and directs them to alternative parking areas if necessary. 

Read the full case study here. 

Smart Parking Use Case #2: City 

With a large number of people relying on personal vehicles in their daily lives, cities often suffer from traffic jams and congestion, many of which are caused by parking search. This not only lowers the quality of life in cities but also impacts the environment negatively, with almost 30% of carbon emissions being caused by parking search traffic. According to research, one car circling around while looking for available parking emits approximately 1.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide. 

The city of Cologne, Germany, had a similar problem in one of its liveliest districts with drivers spending large amounts of time on their parking search. Together with Cleverciti, the energy provider RheinEnergie aimed to improve quality of life and reduce emissions in the neighborhood by implementing a smart parking system in Cologne-Nippes. 

As part of this system, Cleverciti Sensors monitoring the availability of parking spaces as well as LED display relaying relevant parking information to the drivers were installed. This resulted in previously unused parking spaces now being used optimally, thus providing a valuable service for Cologne’s citizens and generating additional income for the city. 

Read the full case study here.   

Smart Parking Use Case #3: Office

For corporate campuses that service a large workforce, communication is critical to the effectiveness of a smart parking solution. In many cases, drivers lack accurate guidance that helps them find available parking under time pressure. 

EnBW, one of Germany’s biggest energy providers, had a similar problem in its office locations in Stuttgart and Biberach. In both locations, the parking situation was confusing with employees often having to spend valuable time on their parking search. In addition, there was no comprehensive parking data available to support intelligent infrastructure decisions. 

Cleverciti developed a comprehensive parking guidance system for both office parking lots, helping to reduce parking search times significantly by providing real-time occupancy data per single parking space that is used to feed into the EnBW parking app. This greatly improves the overall work environment while also saving on working time and reducing harmful vehicle emissions. 

Using existing infrastructure to install the Cleverciti Sensors that monitor the parking spaces meant that no extra installation costs were incurred. Cleverciti’s end-to-end solutions also include remote maintenance and other services, meaning that internal administrative efforts are minimized. 

Read the full case study here.  

Use Case #4: Train Station

Many cities around the world are trying to promote local train services and incentivize citizens to use public transport instead of their personal vehicles in the hopes of reducing traffic and harmful vehicle emissions. Especially in rural areas taking the train to work often includes a short car ride to the train station, which means that parking spaces have to be readily available. However, the challenge lies in finding a parking space at the train station quickly and easily while under time pressure. Unnecessarily long parking search times can be a reason for people not to take public transport at all.

The municipality of Kerken in Germany wanted to tackle this challenge: Its proximity to major cities meant that many inhabitants commuted to work daily but found it difficult to find available parking spaces ahead of their train journey. 

Municipality officials worked together with Cleverciti to remedy the situation, implementing a comprehensive parking service that supplies drivers with accurate information regarding the availability of parking spaces ahead of time and diverting them to alternative parking should their initial destination be fully occupied. 

To that end, Cleverciti Sensors were installed on several lampposts, some of which had to be equipped with battery-powered solutions to provide electricity 24/7. These sensors monitor the parking area and provide accurate information about the availability of parking spaces. 

Read the full case study here. 

Want to know more about our smart parking solutions? Click the button below and schedule a demo with one of our smart parking experts directly.

Suppliers of smart parking sensors worth mentioning are Nedap, EnSight and Cleverciti. 

First of all, it is important to define: what makes a good sensor? A good sensor is:

• reliable in all weather conditions

• detects vehicles even in floating parking space rather than (only) detecting individual parking bays

• easy to install, on existing infrastructure

Cleverciti Sensor

Cleverciti, a global company with offices in the US and UK and headquarters in Munich, Germany, has managed to harness the power of edge computing, artificial intelligence, and deep learning to provide a smart parking solution that shapes the streetscape of smart cities. The Cleverciti Sensor measures the exact position and size of open parking spaces, supplying drivers and parking operators with highly reliable, real-time information on available spaces.

With a range of up to 220 degrees, the Cleverciti Sensor can cover up to 100 parking spaces through edge computing, IoT & AI technology. It does not have to be installed in-ground but instead makes use of existing infrastructure and can be mounted on lamp posts, masts or buildings. Depending on the surroundings, the installation of one sensor takes less than one hour. Should the needs change, the sensors can easily be relocated.

Data captured by the sensors is updated every three seconds, allowing real-time detection of available parking spaces. Processing of the data occurs within the sensor itself, meaning that no video leaves the sensor. This not only minimizes bandwidth costs but also ensures that the smart parking system is fully compliant with privacy regulations. In addition, data transmissions are fully encrypted.

Would you like to see for yourself? Then click below and schedule a demo by one of our smart parking experts.

Silicon Valley is known for widespread early adoption of the latest and greatest technologies for businesses and consumers, but one area of the Valley has yet to undergo a tech makeover: parking. Sure, there are mobile apps for metered parking, faster routes to avoid traffic, and time travel tracking apps, but what about the basic act of searching for parking itself? In an area where the population is dense, private vehicles are popular, and fuel emissions are of great concern, the raw issue of parking can deliver positive, meaningful outcomes for communities, businesses, and the environment. 

We are thrilled to share a newly formed partnership with Redwood City’s Central Business District which will help catapult the area’s parking into the 21st century. 

What does this mean exactly? Imagine driving to the Redwood City Business District and, rather than leaving early to maneuver congestion and circle the blocks to look for parking, you pulled into town, looked up and digital signage directed you right to an available spot. No more aimless searches, wasting time, and getting frustrated. No more needless emissions from idling vehicles. 

Cleverciti’s solution will feature space guidance for seven surface lots, eleven garages, and over 4,500 parking spaces. It will integrate with the city’s mobile app, PayByPhone mobile payment provider, and IPS Multi-space pay station, ensuring a connected and seamless experience across the city’s full parking ecosystem.

“Redwood City has made it a priority to innovate and improve its transportation systems, this includes the parking infrastructure. We must think more creatively and more holistically about parking and its daily interaction with Redwood City’s patrons; it plays a critical role in the future of mobility and in supporting our local economy, ensuring easy access to many of our small businesses,” said Christian Hammack, Parking and Transportation Demand Manager, RWC. 

“We partnered with Cleverciti Systems because they developed a comprehensive solution that considers everything from improving air quality to providing drivers with an extraordinary service and data.”

We are thrilled that Redwood City is modernizing its parking and setting the bar for other cities to follow suit! 

For the full press release and visuals, you can download here:  

44 Terms All Smart City Leaders and Urban Mobility Professionals Should Know

1. (Driver) adoption

The (driver) adoption is the level of acceptance of the new solution among the intended user group. In other words: does their new behavior reflect what was intended? Do they accept and follow the newly implemented system? Cleverciti, for example, together with their clients, monitors the behavior of drivers before and after implementation of the smart parking solution to measure adoption.

2. AI / Artificial Intelligence

AI or Artificial Intelligence, which is a broader name for the theory and research that involve the intelligence showcased by machines, instead of the natural intelligence displayed by humans and animals involving consciousness and emotionality. 

3. Arrival experience

The arrival experience is the first impression customers/guests get after they have arrived. The moment the customer parks is the first experience he/she has with your service level. That is why it is so important to create a pleasant arrival experience. 

4. Carbon footprint / CO2 footprint

The carbon footprint or CO2 footprint is a calculation of the carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual, organization or community.

5. Carbon neutrality

Carbon neutrality means having a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere with the goal of achieving net zero emissions.  

6. Circling

Circling is the behavior of drivers when they drive around a certain area constantly searching for a free parking spot.

7. (Traffic) congestion

Congestion is also described as overcrowding or blockage. Traffic congestion occurs when the space of the road is not enough anymore to handle the amount of vehicles in traffic.

8. Curb management

With more people ordering online and using ride-hailing services, managing the curb is becoming increasingly important. Curb management solutions include monitoring the loading zone occupancy, identification of vehicle types, issuing permits in advance and more. 

9. Deployment

Deployment is a term used in IT to describe the installation or activation of a new solution. 

10. Dynamic pricing

Dynamic pricing is adapting the price for rental of parking space based on the demand.

11. Dynamic reservation

Dynamic reservation means offering the possibility to drivers to reserve a parking spot ahead of time via an app or website. These reservations can be altered at any point, and become free for another reservation. 

12. Edge-computing

Contrary to cloud computing, with edge-computing, data is not processed in a data center, but in the device itself or by a local computer or server. That is why it is also called a decentralized computing paradigm. 

13. End-to-end-solution

An end-to-end-solution is a solution that covers a process or service from beginning to end and is completely functional on its own without being dependent on a third party.

14. Environmental impact

The environmental impact is defined as any change to the environment resulting from a certain activity, service or product. More recently, this term is used mostly to describe negative effects on the environment.

15. Floating parking spaces

Floating parking spaces are parking spaces that aren’t marked with lines on the ground, for example along the street. Cars can freely park in a line depending on the size of the car. As floating parking spaces cannot be detected by ground sensors, Cleverciti works with overhead sensors that view the object, not the space.

16. Full-service solution

Instead of buying sensors or signs separately, full-service solutions offer a subscription to a full parking solution. This includes support, software as well as hardware upgrades, and even replacement of any failed or updated hardware—making your life easier and parking management more efficient than ever before.

17. GovTech

GovTech is about applying new technologies (such as artificial intelligence, advanced data processing, etc.) to improve the delivery of public services through increasing efficiency and minimizing costs.

18. Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT refers to a system of objects that are interconnected and together make it possible to collect and transfer data over a wireless network without human intervention.

19. Maximizing ROI / Maximize return

Return on investment is a standardized measure for profitability. Maximizing the return on investment for parking assets can be done by for example installing a parking guidance system or applying dynamic pricing.

20. Multimodal transport

Multimodal transport is the transportation of goods under a single contract(or), but performed with at least two different modes of transport.

21. On-street parking

On-street parking is parking by taking up room on the actual street alongside the curb, as opposed to parking in a parking garage or a designated parking lot. 

22. Overhead parking sensors

Overhead parking sensors, unlike ground parking sensors, are mounted above parking areas to more efficiently analyze the individual cars below. This type of sensor uses AI and IoT technology while being conveniently mounted on existing lampposts or buildings. 

23. Parking assets

Assets are items of property owned by a person or a company, regarded as having value and available to meet debts, commitments, or legacies. With parking assets are meant: any assets that can be used for parking, such as surface parking lots, parking garages, on-street parking, etc.

24. Parking capacity / occupancy

The parking capacity or occupancy is the measurement of the number of taken parking spots, preferably measured in real-time, so that data on how many parking spots are still free is available at any given time. 

25. Parking data

Parking data is any data related to parking, e.g. parking occupancy, length of stay, specific rush hours in a region, average parking price, parking revenue generated.

26. Parking guidance (system)

Parking guidance is a system that guides the driver to the best available parking space. The most reliable way to do this is with local digital signage.

27. Parking request for proposal (RFP)

A parking request for proposal (RFP) is a public business document that announces and provides details about a parking project, as well as solicits bids from suppliers who will help complete the project. RFPs are commonly used by governments. RFPs usually don’t go into as much detail as tenders. 

28. Parking revenue

Parking revenue is the revenue that is derived from the rental of parking space against a certain price.

29. (Smart) parking tender

A (smart) parking tender is a formal, structured procedure for generating competing offers from different potential smart parking solutions providers.

30. Payment compliance

Payment compliance is the inclination of drivers to pay for their parking spot when they are requested to do so. Cities around the globe struggle to increase parking payment compliance.

31. Real-time data

Real-time data is information that is available immediately after gathering it. There is no delay between gathering the data and being able to access the data. Therefore, it depicts the status of that exact moment.

32. Search traffic / parking search / parking search time

Search traffic, also called parking search or parking search time, is the traffic that is caused by people searching for a parking spot. Around 30% of all traffic is attributed to parking search.

33. Smart city

Smart cities are cities in which the use of technology, information, and data is promoted to enhance and improve the overall infrastructure, quality of life, environmental impact and publicly accessible services. Smart parking solutions, as part of an overall smart mobility or transport plan, are key to the development of a smart city.

34. Smart city mobility plan

A smart city mobility plan is a strategic plan that addresses ways to apply urban mobility solutions to contribute to the development of a smart city. These plans aim to improve the quality of life for citizens and visitors with innovative and efficient methods of moving people and vehicles around the city.

35. Smart lamppost

Smart lampposts are the next generation of the traditional street lamppost equipped with connectivity, (solar) power, and other smart city devices. Existing infrastructure such as traditional lampposts can be transformed into a smart hub easily by adding innovative battery-powered solutions to reduce cost and hassle.

36. Smart mobility

Smart mobility focuses on new and other forms of transport rather than using your own car; such as ride-sharing, car-sharing, public transportation, walking, biking, electric charge stations and more.

37. Smart parking

Smart parking makes data available to drivers at the points where they need to make a decision and allows them to make informed decisions on where to park which gives drivers back time, reduces CO2 emissions and alleviates traffic congestion.

38. Smart parking system

A smart parking system uses real-time data to guide drivers to the best possible parking spot by using overhead sensors and digital signage.

39. Smart tourism

Smart tourism helps tourism destinations become more attractive to visitors by applying information and communications technologies to provide its guests with access to tourism and hospitality products, services, spaces, and experiences.

40. Solution as a Service (SaaS)

SaaS is a new approach to cloud computing that focuses on delivering all aspects of an IT solution as a one packaged deal.

41. Space management

Managing parking spaces effectively and efficiently by, for example, monitoring the real-time occupancy, visualizing actionable trends based on historic data or detecting floating spaces. Data is generated to make parking operations more efficient and increases ROI of the parking asset.

42. Transportation master plan

Transportation master plans are formulated by city governments and serve as a roadmap for investments in long-range transportation infrastructure.

43. Turn-by-turn guidance

Turn-by-turn-guidance shows the driver—in real-time and on every corner—where there are parking spots available and therefore guides them turn-by-turn to the nearest available spot.

44. Urban traffic

Urban traffic is a specific term for any type of movement of people and vehicles in a city. Urban areas worldwide seek innovative solutions to reduce urban traffic.

On November 19th, 2020, Cleverciti & Itron came together during their latest webinar that was focused on the implementation of smart lampposts in smart city projects around the world. This virtual event, joined by a record number of attendees representing more than 12 countries, was moderated by Cleverciti’s very own Joe Survance, who leads the US organization. The speaker panel consisted of:

• Itai Dadon, Global Head of Smart Cities at Itron

• Thomas Hohenacker, CEO & Founder at Cleverciti

• David Parker, COO at Cleverciti

Joe Survance

Thomas Hohenacker

David Parker

Itai Dadon

Itron, an important Cleverciti partner, for the implementation of smart city projects around the world, is a global leader in the management of energy, water, and other utilities in cities. Mr. Dadon, Global Head of Smart Cities at Itron, started off by stressing how important smart cities really are for us. “They are entirely created for us, for the citizens that the cities serve. Cities are under tremendous pressure these days, and COVID is adding to that,” Mr. Dadon shared. Smart cities help to make the lives of their residents better. The challenges that cities face are global. There are 3 categories of challenges cities face:

• Environmental (lower emissions)

• Social (improve quality of life)

• Economic (increase compliance and revenue)

It is of great importance to both Itron & Cleverciti to contribute with their technologies to directly help solve these challenges. 

Next, Mr. Hohenacker brings the topic to lampposts and explains the vital role they play in smart city projects. “First of all, they are everywhere. There are over 30 million streetlights in the US alone. And they are of extraordinary importance as they ‘overlook’ very important assets.” 

Cleverciti was able to solve parking search in cities by utilizing lampposts in 2 steps:

1. Building an accurate data layer of the whole city to be able to say which spots are available and which are occupied (by using Cleverciti Sensors)

2. Creating guidance technology to bring you to the nearest available spot (by using Cleverciti Sign, Cleverciti Circ)

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: parking search is extremely costly to society. 30% of all traffic is search traffic. It is no surprise that cities these days are eager to solve this problem and lower the ‘cost’. Lampposts play a key role in solving parking issues in cities. 

Cleverciti moves on by sharing three real-life examples of implementation projects in which streetlights were key in the solution to smart parking:

• City of San Antonio (in close collaboration with Itron)

• City of Bad Hersfeld

• City of Cologne

Curious about these real-life examples and their smart parking solutions? 

Watch the full recording of the event here: 

The presentation that was shared during the event can be found here: