CRA to pilot 100 parking sensors after 29-minute free-parking test

Stephen Timberlake, Special Projects Manager in the city’s Financial Services Department, told the CRA Feb. 10 that a recent 29-minute free-parking pilot has recorded roughly 450 free-time transactions — about 12% of on-street transactions — and produced mixed business feedback. Timberlake said about half of those transactions were concentrated in front of a retail business near Palmetto Park Road.

Timberlake proposed a second pilot to collect detailed occupancy and turnover data in two focus areas: Sanborn Square and Southeast First Avenue (Royal Palm to Meisner Park). The pilot would deploy 100 on-stall sensors from Rydestek Global to report when a space is occupied and for how long. "We will be using a hundred park sensors from Rydestek Global to track actual occupancy," Timberlake said, describing the sensors as roughly the size of a pie plate and able to detect occupation via magnet, radar and electronic field signatures.

Timberlake said the city would purchase the sensors under a procurement contract and hopes to scale to more sensors if the pilot succeeds. Staff plans sensor installation beginning in March, a March–May data collection phase, and presentation of pilot results by late summer. Short-term goals are to gather usage patterns and durations; long-term goals are real-time availability information, grace periods for short visits and improved enforcement strategies.

Commissioners asked whether the arrangement is a one-time study or a purchase of hardware. Timberlake said the plan is to purchase 100 sensors now using an existing contract and, if successful, scale up to as many as a thousand sensors to cover more downtown spaces.

The CRA did not take formal action on the parking pilot during the meeting.