Santa Cruz Unveils €594k Smart Parking System

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is getting ready to significantly improve how it manages traffic and parking in the city. Soon, a smart system will be introduced that tells drivers where parking spots are available. This new plan aims to make traffic flow better and cut down the time people spend looking for a place to park. City officials have shared details about this project, which is part of Santa Cruz's larger plan for sustainable city travel.

The project, which is expected to cost 594,000 euros, will soon be open for bids. It involves putting up ten electronic signs in important spots around the city. These signs will show drivers live updates on empty spaces in both public and private underground car parks. The system will use cameras and sensors to keep track of how full car parks are. It's expected to be up and running before next summer and will initially cover about 11,000 parking spaces in shopping centres and public car parks.

Evelyn Alonso, the Councillor for Mobility, stressed that the main goal is to make parking easier. By reducing the time cars spend driving around looking for a spot, the city hopes to ease traffic jams and lower carbon dioxide emissions, helping to make the city more sustainable.

The new signs will be placed at key entry and traffic points. These include the entrances to Santa Cruz from the South and North, La Rambla, the Bullring (Plaza de Toros), the port exit near the Auditorium, Calderón de la Barca street, Belgium Avenue, the Víctor Zurita Soler roundabout, Barranco de Santos Avenue, and Bravo Murillo street. These locations were chosen to guide drivers efficiently to areas with available parking.

In addition, a new mobile app will be launched. This app will let users check for available parking spaces on their phone before they even start their journey. Beyond just showing car park locations, the app will also provide directions, prices, and opening hours. There's also talk of adding more features in the future, such as the ability to book and pay for parking directly through the app. This would be a big step forward for convenience, especially during busy times like Christmas.

This move to digital parking information builds on other projects already in place. For example, since last Easter, information signs on Anaga Avenue and the San Andrés highway have been showing real-time updates on how full the car parks are at Las Teresitas beach. That project cost 250,000 euros and provides specific information for cars, caravans, and vehicles for people with disabilities. By bringing together these technologies, Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council is working towards becoming a smarter and more efficient city in how it manages its urban resources.