App helps drivers find and compare parking spots

Sept. 30, 2011 2:42 PM PT

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The hunt for parking has turned many a mild-mannered person into an urban warrior, complete with swearing and rude hand gestures.

That may be where Parking In Motion, which makes a smart-phone app that let users find and compare parking locations, comes in handy.

The company keeps a database of on-street and private parking spots by working with cities and parking operators to track existing spaces through smart parking meters, sensors and parking gates.

The app, free for the iPhone and not available on the Android, displays parking structures nearby, their current occupancy level and the relative cost by the number of dollar signs. It also shows hours of operation and directs drivers to entry points.

Santa Monica-based Parking in Motion said the app includes parking data for about 500 cities in 19 countries, and just closed a round of fundraising from venture capital firms.

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-- Shan Li

Technology Blog

Shan Li

Shan Li covered the retail and restaurant industries for the Los Angeles Times. She previously reported on the California economy and the technology sector. A Texas native, she graduated from the business school at New York University, where she decided journalism was much more interesting than a job on Wall Street. She left The Times in 2017.