inrix
An INRIX case study shows its predictive parking technology in action. (See video below.)

A new service from traffic technology company INRIX provides a block-by-block heat map of available on-street parking spaces in urban areas — updated hourly — using data from cities, mobile-payment companies, car-sharing services, and real-time GPS data from more than 250 million vehicles and devices.

INRIX On-Street parking, announced this morning, will be integrated first into BMW’s ConnectedDrive platform, expanding the Kirkland-based company’s existing partnership with the automaker.

BMW will show a prototype of the system at an automotive conference in Detroit this week. In the prototype, the navigation system shifting into an “iPark” mode when the driver approaches the destination, using color coding to indicate the likelihood of available spaces on specific blocks.

iPark_Mock2

The company is making the service available for integration into other apps and devices, as well. It’s launching the service initially in Seattle, Vancouver B.C., San Francisco, Amsterdam, Cologne, and Copenhagen, with plans to expand to 23 cities by the end of the year.

The move into on-street parking prediction builds on INRIX’s roots in traffic analysis, and expands beyond its existing service showing availability of off-street paid parking in garages and lots.

“As we continue to connect cars to smarter cities, INRIX On-Street Parking fills a critical gap that addresses the growing challenge of traffic and parking in our cities worldwide,” says INRIX CEO Bryan Mistele in a news release announcing the service. “And looking ahead to a time when autonomous cars are a reality, this service enables vehicles that drive themselves to park themselves now as well.”

INRIX says its approach has proven more reliable than simply using parking sensors. The company’s initial tests have shown that its model is 80 percent accurate when predicting arrivals or departures from a particular zone around a parking meter, according to this post by Chris Scofield, INRIX principal scientist.

The service also gives drivers information on the price of parking, parking/permit restrictions, and times when parking is free or paid. In addition, it gives drivers information on nearby paid lots and garages, when no street spaces are available.

Here’s an INRIX video showing a case study of the technology in San Francisco.

 

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