Can’t find a parking spot in Davidson? New app does the searching for drivers.
Just in time for the holiday season: Davidson officials are testing a smartphone app that will make parking in the downtown area easier for residents and visitors.
The app, ParkDavidson is an offshoot of Parknav, a parking app that is available in more than 1,000 cities worldwide.
It will show users to the closest open spot at any given time, with turn-by-turn directions to the space, Davidson Economic Development Director Kim Fleming told the town board at its Nov. 14 meeting.
All public parking will remain free within the town limits.
The app also will allow users to select a destination and get a route that finds parking near that destination, Fleming said.
“You can click on any one of the spaces and it will show any one of the on-street or off-street lots, to show you what’s available,” she added.
According to Davidson’s downtown parking map, there are 16 lots and on-street parking areas that are available all day, and more than 20 designated parking areas with two-hour limits.
Davidson will become one of the first towns in the U.S. to utilize a parking app when it launches, Fleming said.
Town Mayor Rusty Knox said the app will make parking simpler in an area where there often isn’t enough parking.
“I’m excited, this is just one more facet of our small area that’s going to hopefully make everyone’s experience when coming to downtown Davidson more enjoyable,” Knox said during the meeting. “I think that’s the angst that a lot of people have.”
The app will be free and available for iPhone and Android users. It is expected to be available by mid-December.
