Mosman Council is committed to ensuring the Mosman local government area remains a desirable place for both residents and visitors to enjoy, both now and into the future.
As part of this ongoing commitment there are a number of innovative projects that are being rolled out across the suburb many of which relate to improving the general amenity of the locality. These projects variously reflect detailed strategic studies, ongoing community engagement and Mosman’s long term Community Strategic Plan - MOSPLAN.
Traffic and parking feature strongly in the minds of residents and local business owners. They have consistently rated in the “Top 3” issues for Mosman residents in four consecutive biennial surveys. In the most recent survey, conducted in April 2016, 33% of respondents identified traffic and parking collectively as the major local issue facing Mosman over the next 5-10 years.
To address local concerns a comprehensive parking study was commissioned by Council in 2015. The Mosman Parking Strategy, developed by Parking & Traffic Consultants, identifies key outcomes across a number of areas which include:
Council is invested in using the latest technology to help solve current parking issues. One of its – most recent innovations has been the introduction of Smart Parking technology.
The Smart Parking deployment sees the installation of 158 on-street parking bay sensors, 215 off-street parking bay sensors, 509 overhead guidance indicators in three multi-storey carparks, 49 LED parking availability signs and plinths and the introduction of the 'Park Mosman' parking availability App for mobile phones and tablets.
The new technology now means residents and other motorists can easily check availability for Vista Street, Bridgepoint, Marque, Mosman Square, Raglan Street East and Raglan Street West car parks and on-street parking in Military Road and adjoining streets before they even leave home.
By introducing smart parking technology Mosman Council is aiming to:
"Smart Parking technology has been introduced as an effective way to address Mosman’s long-standing parking issues. The new system will deliver major benefits for people visiting Mosman as well as those living and working in the precinct. It has the potential to save motorists time and reduce traffic congestion while providing a better overall parking experience. There are also set to be advantages for Mosman retailers and businesses as improved access to parking spaces will give residents and visitors greater access in a more convenient and efficient manner."
Director of Environment and Planning
Mosman Council
Mosman Council has developed new city-wide signage and wayfinding strategies to improve general visual amenity, reduce unnecessary signage clutter and provide better outcomes for traffic, directional, informational, regulatory, and locality signage. Stylish and easy-to-read signage form part of the roll out of the new Smart Parking technologies in recently upgraded car parks.
Since the Visual Amenity committee was established, key outcomes have included the removal of unnecessary signs in Mosman, replacing No Stopping signs with yellow lines, a recommendation to RMS to simplify parking signs using a bold ‘time block’ model, as well as signage brand and style guidelines. Surplus road signs have been removed from streets, public reserves and car parks, including more than 40 signs from a single car park - less clutter and clearer messaging have resulted in less confusion and frustration for motorists.
The roll-out of the Smart Parking system is allowing for real-time data to be captured through sensors that feed into the parking guidance app (Park Mosman) and intelligent traffic signs at some of Mosman’s central car parks, showing real-time availability in the motorist’s desired location. Inside the car parks, overhead green and red LED lights indicate available spaces for motorists.
Park Mosman provides drivers with instant parking availability, free of charge. It allows them to make better informed decisions about their parking location, change their behaviour and seek parking in less occupied streets/car parks close to their desired destination.
Not only does this reduce the time taken in parking, and make parking in Mosman easier and more convenient improving the customer experience, it also indirectly helps to reduce congestion and free up parking spaces.
The introduction of dynamic parking availability, wayfinding signs and convenient overhead guidance at 3 of Mosman’s busiest car parks means that drivers can now find a parking space more quickly and easily. Congestion caused by visitors driving around, looking for a space is now minimised. The traffic flows more efficiently and customers are less stressed and more satisfied with their overall experience of parking in Mosman.
At busy periods, car park space use is maximised as the signage and technology help ensure that visitors are alerted to all available spaces.
To date, the customer feedback for the application has been positive.
In the competitive world of retail, parking is an essential service to get right, and a poor parking experience can impact on footfall and customer retention.
Smart Parking has extensive experience working with councils and municipalities across the globe, most of which have a smart city initiative that includes a smart parking system as an integrated component.
Vehicle access to airports can turn into chaos if not properly managed, and Smart Parking can offer a single system that caters for a variety of parking and drop off options.