“Cities often oversupply because they believe that a ‘good’ parking experience for drivers is where there is plenty of parking,” Ms. Ng said. drivers with a space before they arrive, they can have a good experience, and we can help cities reclaim some of that space to better use.”
According to a Google spokesperson, each city’s smart zone contract is different, based on the number of sensors and local policies that affect operations. Pebble works with each city to determine their needs, then forms a budget. (A Google spokesperson did not share the cost of the pilots.)
But the impetus for ”smart city technology,” which includes curbside management, often faces offline realities, especially enforcement. Cameras can be useful, but they often raise privacy concerns. And then there’s an unwritten rule about city planning: Parking is political, regardless of data.
In May, advocacy groups for safe streets and major delivery companies, such as UPS and DoorDash, send a letter addressed to the office of the mayor of New York City, Eric Adams. It urges City Hall to prioritize curbside use to “provide the greatest amount of traffic and serve the highest number of people.”
Sara Lind, policy director of Open plan, the group held the letter. “But they’re really struggling because right now our curb space is completely unmanaged.”
The first step is an inventory, Ms. Lind said, and the data provided by the start-up can help. But cities must step up and take action, she added.
“Until we have the political will to say that curbs shouldn’t just be for free storage of personal vehicles, this technology won’t work,” she said. “We won’t be able to reuse that space.”
