Dubbo Regional Council (DRC) will trial car parking sensor technology in Dubbo’s Central Business District (CBD) to alleviate challenges local businesses face around customer car parking availability.
DRC have installed car parking sensors in 150 car spaces along parts of Church, Macquarie and Brisbane Streets. The three year car parking sensor project trial will commence from Monday 22 August 2022. The existing parking limits will remain unchanged.
DRC’s Director Environment and Planning Stephen Wallace said the new technology will create efficiencies for parking officer staff but most importantly for local business houses. “We know it’s frustrating for local businesses when their customers cannot get a park due to other motorists breaching parking limits that apply in the CBD. The parking sensors will support efficient turnover of street parking for all customers in line with intended parking policy. It also allows Council to manage the limited parking spaces on our streets in a fair and equitable way,” said Mr Wallace
The new sensor technology will also provide additional insights into how people are using the car spaces within the CBD. DRC’s Manager Economic Development and Marketing Josie Howard said this is a win for local businesses in the CBD. “Parking availability has been a regularly discussed challenge in the CBD, and these sensors could be a real game changer for both businesses and way finding throughout the CBD. There are lots of options for long stay parking out of the main streets of the CBD, and this initiative will hopefully encourage a regular turnover of carparks in the CBD that can in turn encourage positive consumer activity as well as activate some of our CBD walkways,” said Ms Howard.
As part of the trial Council will investigate the use of technology to launch an app, which can display real-time visibility of available parking on those areas with sensors.
The in-ground sensor is a small electronic device that is installed in the road surface within the parking bay to detect and record the time a vehicle arrives and departs the bay. The sensor records vehicle arrival time and if the vehicle overstays the maximum time permitted in the bay. Parking officers are alerted of overstay vehicles in the area. Parking officers may then attend the site of the over stayed vehicle and determine if a parking infringement needs to be issued. The sensors are programmed to allow for our grace periods of 15 minutes over in a 1P (1 hour) and 20 minutes in a 2P (2 Hour) zone. The sensors are extremely accurate and reliable. Each day an automatic health check is processed to ensure the sensor is working correctly.
