Los Angeles has now followed San Francisco’s lead and has approved a pilot program that will adjust the cost of parking based on demand at various times throughout the day and the duration that motorists stay within each parking space.
The program, called ExpressPark™, will use sensors and other technology to monitor around 6,000 sidewalk parking meters and 7,500 spaces in public parking facilities. Rates will change based on demand, adjusting to rise or fall by no more than 50%.
According to the LA Times, the City of Los Angeles plans to launch the project in September, and hopes to see the variable parking rate system commence from April 2012.
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation states that its goals are to increase the availability of public parking spaces and decrease traffic congestion and pollution, testing the ways technology can help the achieve these goals.
ExpressPark™, one component of the Los Angeles Congestion Reduction Demonstration, is set to operate from Spring 2012. The program includes real-time parking guidance systems, mobile applications, upgraded parking meter technology, and integrated parking bay sensors.