On July 6, a free mobile application aiming to give drivers independence and freedom from parking tickets was released in the Apple App Store. Parking tickets bleed drivers of their hard earned money, and are usually a result of parking signs that are not only confusing, but sometimes out-right misleading. The ParkParkGoose app gives drivers a tool that can translate parking information into simple answers and explains why the driver is or is not allowed to park on a given street.
There have been many attempts to simplify parking signs in the past, but none of them have been as straight-forward and clear as a basic “yes” or “no.” In 2015, there was a pilot program to make Downtown Los Angeles parking signs less complex and more readable. A more recent proposal by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation recommended that all of L.A.’s parking regulations be recorded and added to a database for public access, according to City News Service. The LADOT estimates the project will cost between $4.4 and $5.6M and take between 2 to 3 years to complete. Luckily for them, ParkParkGoose has taken this matter into its own hands, or more accurately, has put the solution directly in the hands of the public. While drivers add signs into the app, they are simultaneously building out the database of the entire parking environment of Los Angeles. The information is made available in real time and displays all information on a map to be used as a quick-reference guide for parking throughout the city.
The founder of ParkParkGoose, Jordan Havercamp, stated that his main goal was to find a parking solution that would benefit drivers everywhere. “Parking signs are overly complicated in Los Angeles, and it shouldn’t require a PhD to be able to understand a parking sign.” It is for this reason that he created an app that translates parking regulations into a simple yes or no answer that everyone can understand. Although there are other apps trying to solve the same problem, ParkParkGoose is the only app that can provide users with immediate feedback in unmapped areas.
According to Havercamp, the average person can input a sign in less than 15 seconds using the ParkParkGoose mobile app. If each user takes a couple of minutes to input the streets surrounding their most frequented destinations, they will have a curated map and list of parking rules that matter most to them. The ten minutes of minimal effort can save them hours of searching and hundreds of dollars in potential parking fines. Beta testers are already calling this app the “Waze for parking.”
About ParkParkGoose
ParkParkGoose is available for download on the Apple App Store and social outreach can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information, visit parkparkgoose.com.
