The Future Is Coming: Track Parking Spaces On Your Phone

<a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/01/18/dot-testing-new-technology-aimed-at-making-parking-easier-in-nyc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via CBS</a>

If you've ever squeezed into a freakishly tight parking spot, faced off with passive aggressive neighbors, or accumulated hundreds of dollars worth of tickets for parking two feet too close to a fire hydrant, than you understand how difficult it can be finding parking in the city. But the Department Of Transportation has begun testing new futuristic parking space sensors to try to cut down on all the cars circling for spaces. Could this end fights over "putting it in head first?"

The bright yellow sensors—which are about the size of hockey pucks—were initially installed in the pavement this week in 177 parking spaces on both sides of 187th St in Belmont. If they survive three months of city weather and street cleaning, the city will launch a free app to let drivers see which of the spots are vacant. “There are benefits, not only to drivers but to the surrounding community,” said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. “You’re relieving the congestion and pollution associated with those people who are cruising around looking for parking.”

Assuming the sensors survive the street sweepers, garbagemen, rain and snow, the app will tell drivers if more or fewer than two spots are available, or if more than four spots are open in the area. And then the program will be expanded to the rest of Manhattan. But some locals think such an app would be unfair to older people who don't have (or know how to use) smart phones: “This is a bad thing to do,” Carmela Lucciola, who owns Caffe Egidio on 187th St., told the News. “It’s a lot of older people who come to shop in this area, middle class people that can’t have these iPhones or whatever. A lot of people don’t even know how to use the Muni-Meter.” Well, for what it's worth, not all cops know how Muni-Meters work either.