Winter Park testing new tech on Park Ave in hopes of easing parking woes
It’s a Friday night on Park Avenue in Winter Park, and most people know they’re going to have to hunt for an open parking space. Now, the city is hoping to fix pesky parking problems by testing whether sensors could make parking easier.
WINTER PARK, Fla. – It’s a Friday night on Park Avenue in Winter Park, and most people know they’re going to have to hunt for an open parking space. Now, the city is hoping to fix pesky parking problems by testing whether sensors could make parking easier.
“It’s actually entertaining to sit there from a sidewalk café and watch them try to squeeze into the smallest space possible,” said Robert Kenderdine, who prefers to take the train.
“I definitely feel like sometimes it’s a waste of my time getting up early trying to come out here and beat the traffic,” said Elisha Wilson.
You may spot circular sensors on Park Avenue’s iconic brick road. The city is testing the technology that would pair data gathered by the sensors with some sort of online app that would show open spaces. Feedback from Park Avenue visitors is mixed.
Some drivers are all about it.
“If there’s something I can check before I come out here – that would save me a lot of time,” Wilson said.
While others say it sounds like a waste.
“I think it’s a non-issue, honestly,” said Texi Mclean, who says she doesn’t have much trouble finding parking.
“I would use that if suddenly they took the train away from me,” Kenderdine added.
Officials said this pilot program is of no cost to the city. They plan to do a 30-day trial to collect data and see if the technology works before making it permanent. The city said it has taken other steps to ease parking, such as adding spaces and giving park enforcement license plate readers, so they can track who has been exceeding parking time limits.