Sausalito Receives Flagship Pay-by-Space Parking Program from Aparc Systems

Twenty one new SIEMENS parking pay stations arrived in the City of Sausalitos Bridgeway municipal parking lots this week. The contract to outfit and update the picturesque, marina neighborhood with superior and feature-rich parking equipment was awarded to Aparc Systems Inc. by unanimous consent from City Council in March, 2010. With our partners, SIEMENS, Streetline Inc., Parkmobile and Motorola, Aparc rolls out the most comprehensive contract to date within our US portfolio, integrating Pay-Stations with vehicle sensors, handheld enforcement devices, and pay-by-phone conveniences.

Residents and visitors of Sausalito will come to know a convenient and easy-to-use parking system. Behind the scenes is an impressive network of communications that Aparc designed so that all the components work together not only for ease-of-use for the customer, but for the City to benefit from a seamless parking solution, says Robert Ziola, President and CEO of Aparc Systems Inc.

To add to customer-convenience, motorists can use coin, credit card, phone and even SmartCards to pay for parking. Paying by phone for parking is as easy as dialing a designated toll-free number, entering the parking zone number displayed on the pay station, and registering (a one-time only process) your credit card information. Easier still is downloading the mobile phone application available for Blackberry and iPhone from Parkmobiles website. Existing resident Proximity cards will be replaced with new SmartCards that are compatible with the new parking pay stations. SmartCards allow customers to pay for actual parking time used, down to the minute, and will be available from the City later this year.

With this new parking system, the City will benefit from improved enforcement by way of sophisticated vehicle sensors and real-time communicating, wireless handheld devices used by parking enforcement officers. The nearly undetectable, surface vehicle sensors communicate every parking activity of a vehicle; from arrival, to payment, to failure to pay, to expiration, to departure. Mobile handheld devices alert parking enforcement officers to vehicles in violation for faster, more efficient enforcement, improving the Citys overall resource allocation.

These new environmentally and financially sustainable improvements made to the ocean-side community of Sausalito, are sure to make a positive impact on its residents and visitors, as well as improve traffic and parking congestion.