"... Dating Service For Parking Spots"

Two entrepreneurs from Montreal have extended a university project into a business matching drivers up with parking spots and reserving these spots via the internet. "It's a new tool and people have largely been happy with the service, and they like the [website] idea in general." said Philippe Guevremont, who founded maplace.ca with his partner Dominic Chartrand. The website allows users to sign up and enter the particulars of where and when they need a parking spot. The software then finds a spot, reserves it and takes payment by credit card. I wonder what happens when you get to your spot and it's been taken?

Source: Globe and Mail

San Francisco's Parking Mesh Network

In an attempt to curb it's traffic congestion woes, the city of San Francisco is turning to technology to help solve the problem. Six thousand of the cities 24,000 metered parking spaces are being equipped for a pilot project with devices called “bump,” that together will form a wireless sensor network. Drivers will be alerted to empty parking places by displays on street signs, or by looking at maps on their smartphones. “It will have a cascade of positive effects on transportation and the economy and environment,” said Donald Shoup, a professor of urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles. “The broader picture is what we’re building is an operating system for the city that allows you to talk to or control all the inanimate objects out there to reduce the cost and improve quality of city services,” said Tod Dykstra, chief executive of Streetline, the company that San Francisco has contracted to supply the wireless sensor technology. No doubt that if it works there will be a significant improvement in traffic reduction, it's nice to see big cities taking a proactive approach. NY Times story here.