Data-driven mobility solutions are transforming urban safety by reducing congestion, improving emergency response times, and enabling more sustainable city planning, writes Johannes Mark, Head of Global Parking Insights, EasyPark Group
Traffic congestion directly impacts emergency response times, with recent analysis showing that gridlock in New York City caused a 70% increase in FDNY medical emergency delays. Insights into avoiding clogged roadways are critical to keeping people safe, and cities can’t ignore the value that data provides for urban mobility.
In situations where every second counts, the best time for action is now, with the next-best time being planning for the future. Cutting-edge tools can help cities harness their data in transformative ways. ParkMobile Insights, equipped with state-of-the-art LiDAR technology, is one of the largest databases of parking inventory and demand in the US. By leveraging timely and historical traffic data, cities can utilize data to help emergency vehicles bypass gridlock and reach their destinations faster, ultimately saving lives
Data sets the pace for innovation and safety
Many cities across the US lack an understanding of how to balance parking supply and demand. This makes it extremely difficult to solve common challenges like double parking and illegal parking, which clog roads and make it difficult for emergency vehicles to pass through. And with nearly 85% of parking spaces sitting empty at any given time, it’s clear that no amount of vacant spots will solve these issues unless cities are anchoring on data to create effective parking strategies. Without a complete look into parking inventory and occupancy, cities have no way of knowing where these issues stem from. Many have a tough time understanding how much parking is even available because of minimum requirements inflating untracked parking inventory. The longer these concerns go unaddressed, the more traffic and congestion they cause, putting drivers, pedestrians, and first responders at greater risk. Municipalities need powerful tools and data to make informed decisions that make their streets and spaces more livable. With the proper resources in hand, cities can understand, manage, and optimize their parking resources, leading to smarter, more efficient urban planning.
Regulation is a balancing act
States and cities often lack a clear understanding of how to address parking needs, which then leads to the implementation of poor regulation. Many parking regulations were created in the 1950s postwar construction period and have been largely untouched since, compounding these issues. In California, blanket policies like minimum parking requirements have led to millions of dollars being spent on unnecessary parking facilities instead of aff ordable housing construction. Although the state has signed bills that exempt these policies for new housing construction in an attempt to improve the situation, they struggle to determine an accurate number of parking spaces needed for local residents. In cities like New York City, drastic changes such as congestion pricing cause additional challenges for city offi cials who don’t have the proper tools or data to address their mobility issues. Now, they’re tasked with striking the perfect balance between too much and too little reform.
Where data comes in
Equipping cities with comprehensive data is a vital part of improving access and emergency response times. In accessing the precise and accurate database, city planners gain direct objectives and plans for targeted and impactful strategies that enable eff ective urban planning. Ultimately, it takes the guesswork out of the equation so cities can make decisions that benefit everyone. The city of Heidelberg, Germany, partnered with EasyPark, ParkMobile’s parent company, to leverage data from its parking concept and use existing parking space more efficiently, thus reducing congestion within the city. ParkMobile Insights delivers similar capabilities, centering on data to provide insights that improve cities’ mobility infrastructure. With this knowledge, municipalities can take a clear course of action to eliminate congestion, making it easier for emergency vehicles to get where they need to go as quickly and safely as possible. As another example, the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands, leveraged data to improve the balance between parking supply and demand. With 150,000 onstreet parking spaces, the city’s demand for parking often exceeded its supply, particularly in high-traffic areas. By working with EasyPark, Amsterdam adapted its mobility policies to reduce parking spaces in the city center and promote the use of park-and-ride facilities outside central areas. By focusing on improving traffic flow and accessibility, Amsterdam has made significant strides in reducing congestion and increasing road safety. Other cities with similar goals can rely on data-driven solutions to achieve positive outcomes. These solutions identify gaps in current parking infrastructure to help municipalities plan and develop additional systems that streamline city access.
Innovative monitoring with LiDAR
Central to solutions like ParkMobile Insights is LiDAR technology. By seamlessly delivering highly accurate, timely parking data and offering a comprehensive view of parking dynamics across the city, municipalities can depend on this technology to keep roads as clear as possible and accelerate emergency response times. Rather than deploying personnel to periodically collect parking data, LiDAR scanners are mounted on existing city vehicles, like delivery or enforcement fleets, for continuous data collection across a wide coverage area. By mapping average parking occupancy by the hour, pinpointing specific problem areas, and taking targeted action to improve parking conditions, LiDAR transforms the way cities view and assess their parking infrastructure. LiDAR also provides ongoing data collection, allowing cities to monitor the impact of policy changes over time and make adjustments as needed. With LiDAR technology powering ParkMobile Insights, cities can rest easy knowing their mobility infrastructure is accurately and consistently being assessed to meet short-, mid-, and long-term goals. Cities grow quickly, and so does congestion. A vital part of ensuring safety among residents is keeping roads clear for rapid emergency response.
Improving environments and urban living
Data generated from ParkMobile Insights doesn’t just have the power to guide policy decisions and create balanced parking supply and demand, it promotes sustainable urban environments by improving accessibility to cities. When cities invest in more efficient parking management, they make progress toward reducing traffic congestion and emissions. Less congestion means less stalled transportation, including large emergency response vehicles like fi retrucks and ambulances. By keeping traffic moving smoothly, cities can keep communities safer. Another way parking and mobility data can help reduce congestion and pollution is using it to identify opportunities for more efficient and equitable use of public spaces. For example, in Copenhagen, Denmark, the city repurposed on-street parking spaces to make more room for walking and biking, promoting alternative transportation options that reduce the number of cars on the road. Using data to guide sustainable mobility infrastructure like bike lanes and sidewalks can go a long way toward ensuring drivers and pedestrians are safe on and off roads.
The end goal: Make cities safer and more livable
There’s no denying the critical role efficient urban mobility can play in improving emergency response times. To help emergency vehicles like ambulances and fi retrucks bypass gridlock and reach their destinations faster, and ultimately save lives, municipalities need continuous access to comprehensive data. With solutions like ParkMobile Insights, cities gain total visibility into parking inventory and occupancy. This allows them to address parking challenges affecting traffic flow and congestion and learn how to properly balance supply and demand. It also helps cities make informed short-, mid-, and long-term strategy and policy decisions that create safer and healthier communities.■
Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of FMM magazine.
Johannes Mark
Head of Global Parking Insights
EasyPark Group