Digitising the Kerbside – Coventry City Council Case Study (UK)
Coventry city centre has undergone a remarkable transformation during recent years and there is an excitement around the city and a level of optimism that the city will continue to regenerate, grow and develop to become one of the country’s top 10 cities by providing a test-bed environment for all to come and test there development for any transport related research.
To achieve this aspiration we must ensure that the transport network and infrastructure is fit for purpose and is sustainable. Parking provision is integral to these plans but getting the balance right between the demands for parking and the needs of Coventry’s growing population continues to be a challenge. Faced with the prospect of increasing car ownership over the next 20 years and our own plans to grow the city, the delivery of a progressive programme of effective Mobility As A Service (MAAS) and parking measures will help support the regeneration of the local economy. Keeping the road network, particularly in central areas, free from congestion and the detrimental effects of traffic and pollution is key to turning our vision into a reality.
Coventry first engaged with AppyWay (formerly AppyParking) after a request from the newly formed R&D Company who wanted to test their development in a live environment with the help of a Local Authority. In 2017 as part of a Department for Transport funded Connected Infrastructure Transport Systems initiative this testing was extended to deploy additional parking sensors to provide real-time parking availability across every paid, disabled and EV bay within the city centre. This project provided valuable insight into how the kerb is being utilised and has helped inform and shape our strategic transport plans. Coventry is collaborating further with AppyWay on two other UK Gov funded projects, one of which is a ground-breaking project that is standardising kerbside data, enabling rapid digitisation and unlocking a greater opportunity for mobility-as-a-service innovation, whilst at the same time enabling savings in the time taken to create and manage parking restrictions. The session will cover how technology is allowing us to be more flexible in the future and supporting our mobility projects.