Parallel Universe Parking

by Sara Satullo

Most city dwellers and visitors would scoff at Philadelphia Parking Authority strategic planner Rick Dickson's assertion that his agency's "focus is on providing services to people, not tickets." Well, the PPA may finally have done something to chip away at its reputation as the bane of a Philly driver's existence. Last Thursday, officials announced the creation of the PPA Parking Locator. Think MapQuest, but instead of directions, you'll get a list of places to leave your ride.

Before heading to the North Star Bar or any other destination, drivers can now log on to www.philapark.org, enter the address of their destination and, with a click of their mouse, — voilà! — up pops a list of all nearby, available, off-street parking garages and lots. The Web site lists the going rates in each lot based on five categories of parking needs such as a"typical commuter" or a five-hour Friday/Saturday night parker. (And get this: It actually works. A test run for City Paper's offices at Second and Chestnut streets pulled up seven nearby lots that actually exist, complete with prices — you can compare and contrast — and number of spots).

The initiative puts the PPA at the forefront of online parking locators. Executive Director Joe Egan says only Portland and San Francisco's parking authorities even come close to rivaling the PPA's newly discovered tech-savviness.

"Perhaps you'd be able to find a system like this in Europe," he says, "but not anywhere else in this country."

The online parking locator is a part of a five-year, estimated $1 million PPA drive which also includes the installation of red-light cameras, digital parking meters and Smart Card payment options. The authority teamed up for the project with Refinery, a suburban Philadelphia interactive agency that works with Campbell Soup Company and Urban Outfitters.

Unlike other parking authority Web locators, PPA's features a totally interactive search engine. Its mapping covers Center City and University City, from Delaware Avenue to 40th Street and from Washington to Spring Garden.

The city has put 140 lots online and plans to have the other 115 in the system within a few months. Changes to the program will be based on user feedback on the Web site and through focus groups.

"I'm proud we executed this in 14 months," Egan said. "Point and click: That's where the action is and we're gonna make this easier."