22 November 2021
Richmond Council is rolling-out digital sensors as part of a one-year trial to bring smart parking to some parts of Richmond upon Thames.
The parking sensor trial will see 151 parking bay sensors installed across the borough’s town centres as part of the South London Partnership’s InnOvaTe Project.
The sensors gather data to determine local parking trends and help the Council to monitor parking overstays to create more effective enforcement.
In the future the sensors will also be able to inform residents about available parking spaces, through the RingGo app, which is already widely used for pay and display parking in Richmond upon Thames. Drivers will be able to quickly identify available parking spaces (where sensors are installed). This will help alleviate congestion from vehicles not having to drive around searching for available space, which will in turn help to improve air quality.
All sensors are designed to provide accurate data on road, pavement and parking usage in a completely anonymous way. They do not collect personal data, and the technology cannot be used to gather any kind of personal data.
Cllr Alexander Ehmann, Chair of the Transport and Air Quality Committee, said:
“Smart technologies are playing an ever more central role in the delivery of Council services and I’m really excited that Richmond will be at the forefront of local authorities using better data to make decisions.
“The trial results will help us to monitor local parking habits and contribute meaningful data on which future decisions of the Council can be based.”
Richmond Council is also currently piloting Vivacity traffic sensors and Breathe London air quality sensors, which give a picture of the links between transport and air quality.
About the InnOvaTe Project:
South London Partnership is working with London Councils to deliver an exciting and innovative “Internet of Things” (IoT) project across the five south London Councils of Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton.
This initiative is funded by the Strategic Investment Pot (SIP) as part of the London Councils Business Rates Retention scheme which is administered by the City of London Corporation, and hopes to improve people’s lives through the delivery of a multi-purpose Internet of Things (IoT) platform, which will connect various sensors across borough boundaries.
The project is led by Sutton Council, which was selected to oversee the project on behalf of the other boroughs.
Get involved
To keep up with our latest articles, events and more, please sign up to our newsletter.
If you have any questions about the project, please check our Frequently Asked Questions.