ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Fernando Valverde said parking on Seventh Street in Allentown can be hard.
“Sometimes, on weekends, and when we have visitors from out of state, that’s when parking gets really tough,” said Valverde.
It is where Allentown Parking Authority said cameras will be installed as part of a pilot program.
The AI technology used will only help count the number of double-parking violations here.
“It can be a good thing; it can be a bad thing. You know, a good thing that it will generate more money for the city and bad thing for us is we will have to be more careful where we park,” said Valverde.
The data will then be presented by the company WiseSight to the Parking Authority, which heard a presentation on it Wednesday.
WiseSight Director of Sales Andy Rinius said the AI technology has been used in several cities across the state, including Reading.
He said tickets have been sent to violators in Reading.
“We found there’s been a significant increase in both revenue the city has generated, but also compliance. Parking compliance violations have decreased, and safety has actually increased significantly,” said Rinius.
Cameras can be used to monitor multiple types of violations.
“The more technology we can use at the Parking Authority to identify areas that we can free up more parking or create better compliance only will support the public in our downtown,” said Ted Zeller, chair of the Allentown Parking Authority.
Zeller said the Parking Authority will be speaking with the city about when to start the pilot program on 7th Street, where he said there have been a lot of complaints about double parking.
“I would hope that something be green lit sometime in the next six months,” said Zeller.