Parking sensors that were previously installed on campus will be making a comeback in the near future.
The sensors were located at lots 18 and 19, which were removed in order to make way for the football stadium’s construction. They were used to give information to students, particularly commuters, about how many parking spots were available in the given lots.
Although some of the equipment cannot be repurposed, the majority of the technology used for the sensors from the previous locations will be re-used to offset the cost of placing sensors in the new locations.
The sensors will find a new home in the parking garage, which provides 1,200 student parking spaces, and lot 8, located in front of Centennial and beside Parking Services, which has roughly 116. When the parking garage was first built, sensors were in place, but were removed due to the system not syncing well with the mobile app.
“Parking Services personnel researched available parking data to determine areas where these existing systems can be redistributed to provide the best utilization of data that would be most relevant and desirable for commuter students,” said Director of Parking Services Vernon Bradley.
These two locations are some of the primary areas commuting students tend to park in, according to the data.
“We have received positive feedback about this option, so we work hard to make sure that it continues to best meet the needs of our student body,” Bradley said.
The sensors will provide up-to-the-minute data on the amount of parking spaces available via an app that students can download.
Parking has consistently been one of students’ primary areas of concern at ETSU, so an app that shows available parking spots in certain locations has the potential to be incredibly helpful, especially for students who do not live on campus.
While there was no official word on when the sensors would be installed in their new locations, the director did say it would be “soon.”
