The smart traffic initiative stipulates the deployment of 450 smart parking sensors
The government of Australia announced the launch of a project to install 450 smart parking sensors to benefit residents in the country’s Central Coast area.
Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher said the project would see the installation of 250 parking sensors in the Terrigal district and 200 sensors in the Gosford district, allowing drivers access information on available parking information via apps.
“This project is designed to solve the perennial problem of finding a parking spot—it’s a great example of how the Turnbull Government’s AUD 50 million ($36.1 million) Smart Cities and Suburbs Program is helping to make our cities and regional areas more livable,” Fletcher said.
“This particular initiative is big news for the local area as it will help reduce heavy traffic congestion in the heart of Terrigal and Gosford,” the official added.
Lucy Wicks, a lawmaker representing the Division of Robertson in New South Wales said up to 30% of traffic congestion in the business centres of the Central Coast was due to people looking for free parking spaces.
“Central Coast residents park around train stations before commuting to Sydney or Newcastle in their thousands every day, making finding a parking space at Gosford and other centres problematic, but we are now partnering with Council to help resolve these long-standing issues,” Wicks said.
“I have heard from the community about the struggle for car parking in Gosford and Terrigal and that’s why I am delighted to see work starting for locals across the Central Coast as it will help reduce heavy traffic congestion in the heart of our business centers. As well as reducing congestion, this project will help reduce air pollution, improve road safety and boost ease of access to local businesses for potential customers,” she added.
Meanwhile, Central Coast mayor Jane Smith said adequate and available parking was key to activating town centers.
“Visitors to Gosford and Terrigal will benefit too by getting real-time information about the availability of parking via an app which will identify available parking spots. We welcome the Australian Government’s investment in this initiative, which will help us make a real difference to the lives of local residents in terms of saving time, reducing frustration and minimising town-centre congestion,” Smith said.
This smart parking initiative is part of the government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs Program, which has the main aim of supporting the delivery of innovative smart city projects that improve the productivity and sustainability of cities and towns across Australia.
