A priori harmless this information exchange tout

Since a few weeks, San Francisco tests a technology that could change in depth the life of the urban motorist: payment of parking in the street. Of course, since the appearance of the first parking meter in the United States in 1935, in Oklahoma City, it already well evolved. But never in as high-tech direction. A start-up of the city, Streetline Networks, has managed to convince the local authorities to fund a first pilot to Fisherman's Wharf, one of the more tourist areas of the city. These streets where to find a parking space within the feat, Streetline has buried sensors from nanotechnology to an another local start-up, Dust Networks. Dust is a pioneer in the development of tiny sensors that can be considered as real computers. With very compact software and microprocessors, they can gather information about their environment and relay the data by using the other closest sensors, up to a server that centralizes this information. In this case, it is to prevent the system when a parking space is free, and then is again occupied.

A priori harmless, this information exchange tout. "All that we know today, it is how much coin we reported a parking meter," admits Tina Olson, one of the program launched by the Port of San Francisco, the administration responsible for the management of these parking spaces. The city estimates that, despite its cohorts of small three-wheeled vehicles which track motorists in excess of parking, only 5 of them are fined. Motorists, the frustration was also large: from 30 to 50 of the urban traffic, according to the U.S. Department of transportation, would be due only for available places... The solution advocated by Streetline is therefore available to motorists free space map. As a first step, this information is disseminated on the Web and it will soon via mobile phones or GPS navigation systems. Optimization of the use of this park will reduce unnecessary traffic and lost time. The city expected a reduction of traffic congestion, but also a better profitability.

"Reload" to distance

Because the system could be coupled to another approach, already experienced in several other American cities, first designed to improve the performance of the existing parking meters. At first glance, the system developed by Digital Payment Technologies (DPT) is similar to others, launched at various locations around the world. It allows to pay, from a central point, with coins, a credit card, or even his cell phone. This terminal, it is sufficient to take a subscription, call a toll-free number when it is parked on a site managed by the system, give the number of its location and it is then debited on a bank account or credit card. In the face of San Francisco, the city of Oakland intends to use this technology for car parks close to its regional train stations (BART). These sensors, travellers can use their telephone to know where there is the place and win precious time before boarding the train.

Digital Payment continues to improve its technology by introducing RFID technology. Now, users of bank cards in which are inserted such chips can communicate with their parking spot. Therefore, it can prevent them that their time of parking is soon exhausted. They have more than to call their free phone number to "reload" their meter distance. That will be able to see the municipal officers to verify that the driver parked is in good standing. Connected to the Internet, they allow a fine Park management because administrators can vary the rate depending on the circumstances (rate high in rush-hour, free one-day holiday, etc.). The flexibility of these systems should benefit both the user and the operator for. "We want to avoid giving drivers the impression that these systems have been designed to extort more money," said Tod Dykstra, Director of Streetline Networks.

Next month in San Francisco and in several other cities, the SpotScout start-up will launch a new service. It will allow motorists who will subscribe to indicate what parking space via their mobile phone, they will soon release and when. And how much they are willing to sell this information with other motorists. The economic model of SpotScout is to pay in is providing a portion of the transaction. According to officials of the start-up, this service will improve urban traffic by reducing the time needed to find a place. As this system can even be applied to public parking spaces. And at private locations, including those located at the entrance of a personal garage. In this case, SpotScout provides the tools necessary for the owner to know how it is prepared to pay its place parking and during what timeslots. But who will rule a potential conflict