A new Smart Parking trial has kicked off in Mornington and is already having an impact by helping to reduce congestion in the busy precinct and helping drivers find a car park easier.
Launched in late December 2020, 100 in-ground sensors were installed throughout Mornington and will be trialled for six months.
Now that Main Street has been reopened, the Mornington Peninsula Shire will relocate around 50 sensors currently on side streets to Main Street between the Esplanade and Barkly Street.
This is the second township to trial smart parking on the Peninsula. In the past two summers, the Shire trialled similar technology in Rye.
Mayor and Briars Ward Councillor, Despi O’Connor, said, “The trial aims to make accessing Mornington easier and more convenient, while providing a better parking experience for both residents and tourists.
“We’re surprised by the amount of overstayed parking in Mornington. Between January and February alone there were 6,700 overstays, with around 2,400 of these staying more than 30 minutes above the prescribed time limit. We are confident this smart parking technology will help us to increase parking availability and improve convenience and fairness for drivers.”
Briars Ward Councillor, Steve Holland, said the trial will also help the Shire gain more insight on parking behaviours and management and assess the suitability of long-term smart parking technology.
“We are committed to increasing access to parking spots by providing fairer, easier access to the limited amount of car parks, especially during peak periods,” Mr Holland said.
Briars Ward Councillor, Anthony Marsh, added that smart parking technology has been proven to significantly reduce the time it takes to find a parking space and reduce car emissions in other cities and townships.
“This technology will also assist businesses on Main Street to have a higher turnover of customers by reducing congestion and overstaying vehicles in the area,” Mr Marsh said.
You can find out more about the project by visiting mornpen.vic.gov.au/smartparking.
