The Metropolis of Clearwater Seaside has entered into its final part of Pay-by-Plate parking kiosk set up, changing its Pay-and-Show system with Flowbird’s sensible CWT kiosks. The ultimate stage of the roll-out will full the transition to 78 new solar-powered, touch-screen parking kiosks, utilizing license plate expertise to offer guests and beach-goers with a user-friendly parking expertise.
Clearwater Seaside, identified for its crystal-clear water and powder-white sand, attracts hundreds of recent guests every month. Autos loaded with seashore toys, sunscreen and water wings drive in to expertise what is known as by TripAdvisor because the #1 seashore within the nation, they usually keep for evenings spent purchasing and eating downtown.
As a thriving metropolis with an ever-increasing customer base, the query of parking availability grew to become pressing final 12 months. In October of 2019, the Clearwater Metropolis Council accredited a technological improve by investing within the Flowbird Pay-by-Plate parking kiosks, together with a brand new parking enforcement answer supplied by United Public Security and license plate recognition software program hosted by Vigilant Options. The transition wouldn’t solely make it simpler to handle parking all through the busy beach-goer season however convey flexibility to drivers parking in Clearwater Seaside.
Not like the Metropolis’s Pay-and-Show system of paying at a meter and strolling to the automobile to put a receipt on the dashboard, drivers will now enter their license plate numbers into new sensible kiosks and full their transactions. The brand new Flowbird touchscreen Pay-by-Plate system accepts cost in coin, credit score or debit card, and in addition permits drivers to pay for parking by way of cellular app, giving them the choice to increase their parking session proper from their cellphone with out having to run again to the pay station.
“Our aim is to offer our residents and guests with an pleasurable time in downtown Clearwater and Clearwater Seaside, so we wish to make parking as straightforward as attainable so patrons can go about having fun with their day,” stated Metropolis Parking Supervisor, Steve Reiter.
Flowbird’s Pay-by-Plate kiosks have already been put in in parking garages and off-street tons all through the Clearwater Seaside space. Utilizing Vigilant’s License Plate Recognition (LPR) software program, cameras register a license plate into the system when a driver involves park in a storage or lot. Site visitors personnel monitor the tons and may guarantee drivers have paid for his or her parking.
“License plate recognition helps to extend the effectivity of storage and lot operations and improves parking enforcement,” stated Metropolis Engineering Director Scott Rice, “We additionally use tools to sense parking house utilization, which permits for steering motorists to out there parking.”
With the brand new kiosks wirelessly speaking to Flowbird’s analytics platform, the Metropolis won’t solely have the ability to analyze parking exercise developments, however it should additionally have the ability to streamline operations. This results in excessive uptime and offers parkers a system it may belief.
In keeping with Flowbird’s nationwide assist director, Jeff Nethery, it is a pure match for the Metropolis of Clearwater and the Flowbird crew. “We’re very proud and honored to be chosen and trusted as Clearwater’s expertise associate in parking,” stated Nethery. “Our nationwide assist program and meter manufacturing and distribution middle are based mostly right here in Clearwater, and plenty of of our employees dwell in or close to Pinellas County. We’re excited to showcase our newest cost applied sciences and integrations and we look ahead to offering excellent assist companies to the Metropolis of Clearwater and Clearwater Seaside communities.”
The ultimate part of parking kiosk set up will deal with the on-street parking areas, together with the well-known ‘Mandalay Avenue,’ the coastal street that results in the world’s prime eating places and venues.
Presently, Flowbird helps over 40,000 parking pay stations for over 600 prospects all through the U.S. Along with Clearwater, Flowbird techniques may be discovered in lots of cities alongside Florida’s Gulf Coast together with Treasure Island, Madeira Seaside, Sarasota, and St. Pete Seaside.
