"Smart" parking in wellington

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antoniosk

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#199112 4-Aug-2016 21:35

Just noticed this today:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/82821049/smarter-parking-for-wellington-to-start-on-monday

Looks interesting, and also looks like everyone will have to suck it up.

I've created an account... and the topup fees look interesting. $0.60 for $10, $1.20 for $20 and $3 for $50

I guess it's a shedload better than the CC surcharge for parking - really, $0.50 for a $4 ticket? outright rort.

Shame though... one senses a poor pay as you go deal was done with DPS.

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Antoniosk

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#1604654 4-Aug-2016 22:17

I can't see any benefits for consumers with this. Apart from maybe remotely extending.

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lapimate

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#1604679 4-Aug-2016 22:33

davidcole: I can't see any benefits for consumers with this. Apart from maybe remotely extending.

Apparently it will eventually map available spaces.

davidcole

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#1604686 4-Aug-2016 22:52

While making you instantly targetable (either by warden or remotely), no park sharing (passing on tickets) or reusing your ticket somewhere else.

tieke

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#1604687 4-Aug-2016 22:58

antoniosk:

... and the topup fees look interesting. $0.60 for $10, $1.20 for $20 and $3 for $50

Strange - I got $1.02, $1.82 and $4.22 as my topup fees for $10, $20 and $50 respectively. This was for topping up my account via VISA.

Bung

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#1604708 4-Aug-2016 23:58

davidcole: While making you instantly targetable (either by warden or remotely), no park sharing (passing on tickets) wor reusing your ticket somewhere else.

I will miss being able to just stick a ticket in the window and make multiple stops without having to muck about.

Stop - start parking via an App is mucking about and each will have a minimum period.

mattwnz

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#1604718 5-Aug-2016 01:36

What happens when the sensor breaks, or they reseal and tar seal over the top of it, or someone paints over the top, or someone tries to smash or steal one of them. I would have thought there would be a better system than having to have sensors on each space.

I presume they are also doing this so you can't give your paid ticket to someone else who may park in your space, so they can make more money. The remote extending though is quite a good thing, but don't they still have a maximum time limit you can park at a space.

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MikeB4

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#1604733 5-Aug-2016 07:31

I like it, no more going down to the machine paying, going back to my car climbing out of my chair to put the ticket in the screen etc etc.

Excellent move WCC

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

andrew027

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#1604742 5-Aug-2016 07:56

I thought they had been doing this in Wellington already. They mention in the article that it's been trialling in Allen and Blair Streets (at the bottom of Courtenay Place) but there's a carpark off Cuba Street (Swan Lane, I think) that has had these sensors for well over a year.

Those of you saying the system will stop you paying for one ticket and using it over several stops - that's OK because you're breaking the rules. The fine print on your ticket will say you can only use it in the zone where you purchased it, so you can't pay for a two hour ticket in Cuba St, park for an hour then drive to Featherston St and park there for 45 minutes on the same ticket.

My question is - how does the sensor actually work? I'm guessing it's more than a light meter sensing the difference between having a car over it or not, as in the middle of the night it's going to be dark anyway so what's the difference? And while there's no benefit to parkers, how long before idiots try to disrupt the system by doing things like putting cardboard boxes over sensors in empty spaces?

davidcole

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#1604752 5-Aug-2016 08:17

I'd have though using magnets etc, similar to a traffic light sensor? Unsure how it will work with a motorbike.

Not being able to pay it forward to someone else it a dick move. Probably doesn't happen often, but when it rarely does, it makes everyone feel better.

Those of you saying the system will stop you paying for one ticket and using it over several stops - that's OK because you're breaking the rules. The fine print on your ticket will say you can only use it in the zone where you purchased it, so you can't pay for a two hour ticket in Cuba St, park for an hour then drive to Featherston St and park there for 45 minutes on the same ticket.

So what they should do, because situations change...is postpay parking rather than prepay, or refund you if you leave before your allotted time, or you may for x time and can use any park for that amount of time.

That would negate the lack of giving the ticket to someone else, or those that figure I've paid for 2 hours and for one reason or another had to move location and so I should be able to reuse my ticket.

jonathan18

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#1604791 5-Aug-2016 09:11

davidcole:

I'd have though using magnets etc, similar to a traffic light sensor? Unsure how it will work with a motorbike.

I would think these sensors are similar to those we've had in Palmerston North for the past five years - my understanding is they're a light sensor.

The ones used here in PN are developed by a local company called Frog Parking (https://frogparking.com/), who have also been trialling a "smarter" approach with app-based payments on a carpark here since 2014 (http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/30021653/hightech-carpark-opens-in-palmerston-north). Seems to be a different company in Wgtn though...

davidcole

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#1604792 5-Aug-2016 09:17

jonathan18:

davidcole:

I'd have though using magnets etc, similar to a traffic light sensor? Unsure how it will work with a motorbike.

I would think these sensors are similar to those we've had in Palmerston North for the past five years - my understanding is they're a light sensor.

The ones used here in PN are developed by a local company called Frog Parking (https://frogparking.com/), who have also been trialling a "smarter" approach with app-based payments on a carpark here since 2014 (http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/30021653/hightech-carpark-opens-in-palmerston-north). Seems to be a different company in Wgtn though...

I wonder how well the "smartphone" payments are going. What with apple trying to get their take on any subscription or payment based system, apple pay, google wallet, snapper 2 go, semble, asbs pay tag

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Bung

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#1604819 5-Aug-2016 09:38

andrew027:Those of you saying the system will stop you paying for one ticket and using it over several stops - that's OK because you're breaking the rules. The fine print on your ticket will say you can only use it in the zone where you purchased it, so you can't pay for a two hour ticket in Cuba St, park for an hour then drive to Featherston St and park there for 45 minutes on the same ticket.

Sorry, you are wrong. About the time the WCC changed the minimum fee to $1 they also changed from tickets only being valid in the meter zone to

"If you've paid and received a pay-and-display receipt, you can use any unexpired parking time elsewhere in the central city as long as you're parking in zones where the same or a lower parking fee applies. Check the meter or pay-and-display machine for details."

You'll have to use a cached view of the WCC site to see "Pay and Display" mentioned.

Lizard1977

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#1604854 5-Aug-2016 10:10

I've been using the Frogparking app in PN for over a year, and it's pretty good. I'm one of those people that normally avoids paying for parking wherever possible, but the convenience of paying per minute and not having to wait at the machine to make payment mean I know use paid parking more often. Top up via the app is easy, and for a $20 (minimum) top up the fee is just 60c.

Sensors are pretty robust and to my knowledge there's been very little vandalism in Palmerston North. Can't speak for the Wellington set up though.

There have been plenty of grumbles about the Frogparking system since it was introduced several years ago, but I get the feeling that it's more to do with people's aversion to paid parking full stop. Theoretically, it does mean that a parking warden can be dispatched if a sensor detects a vehicle but no payment, but my experience is that the area to be covered is large and the number of wardens means this happens rarely. Last week I forgot to activate the app for my bay and came back 3 hours later expecting a ticket, but there was none. It's hardly efficient to have a warden chasing alerts all over the area handing out tickets.

Some people grumble about the change of the system being more complicated (having to type in a unique bay number rather than pay for a piece of paper), but I think we should give people more credit. I think people adjust reasonably quickly, but there will always be those who hate having to change their ways, and nothing will change that.

jonathan18

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#1604875 5-Aug-2016 10:46

Lizard1977:

I've been using the Frogparking app in PN for over a year, and it's pretty good. I'm one of those people that normally avoids paying for parking wherever possible, but the convenience of paying per minute and not having to wait at the machine to make payment mean I know use paid parking more often. Top up via the app is easy, and for a $20 (minimum) top up the fee is just 60c.

Sensors are pretty robust and to my knowledge there's been very little vandalism in Palmerston North. Can't speak for the Wellington set up though.

There have been plenty of grumbles about the Frogparking system since it was introduced several years ago, but I get the feeling that it's more to do with people's aversion to paid parking full stop. Theoretically, it does mean that a parking warden can be dispatched if a sensor detects a vehicle but no payment, but my experience is that the area to be covered is large and the number of wardens means this happens rarely. Last week I forgot to activate the app for my bay and came back 3 hours later expecting a ticket, but there was none. It's hardly efficient to have a warden chasing alerts all over the area handing out tickets.

Some people grumble about the change of the system being more complicated (having to type in a unique bay number rather than pay for a piece of paper), but I think we should give people more credit. I think people adjust reasonably quickly, but there will always be those who hate having to change their ways, and nothing will change that.

Thanks for the heads-up on the wider usage of the Frogparking app - I had no idea until I read this that it was usable across the city now. I ALWAYS struggle to have change to pay for parking (this is one of the few uses I have for cash), so this provides an ideal solution. Will download the app now...

sbiddle

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#1604947 5-Aug-2016 12:00

andrew027:

Those of you saying the system will stop you paying for one ticket and using it over several stops - that's OK because you're breaking the rules. The fine print on your ticket will say you can only use it in the zone where you purchased it, so you can't pay for a two hour ticket in Cuba St, park for an hour then drive to Featherston St and park there for 45 minutes on the same ticket.

The definition of a zone is a price zone - ie you can use a $4hr ticket in another $4hr zone, but can't use a $1.50hr ticket in a $4hr zone.

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