Contributed/ETSU

East Tennessee State University has partnered with Park Zen to make parking around campus easier for faculty and students. The ETSU Parking app tracks a device’s movement to recognize when a user arrives at or leaves a parking space, then uses that information to help students and staff find nearby and available parking all over campus.

Parking Services’ Laina Carlos, who laid the groundwork for the app and pushed its marketing, said the goal was to make the parking and navigating experience easier for the campus community.

“It can be frustrating circling around campus looking for a space, particularly for those who may be unfamiliar with campus,” Carlos said. “We wanted to provide a tool that puts useful parking information right at their fingertips, including real-time information about parking availability.”

The new app includes many features designed to help users have a smooth and convenient parking experience. With the tap of a button, the app will generate a list of recommended lots across ETSU’s 366-acre campus based on proximity and availability. Each user can personalize their experience by saving favorite parking spots, as well as picking a navigation system within the app, on Google Maps or on Apple Maps. The app will save each user’s parking spot and provide directions straight to their car, preventing users from getting lost. The app will give students warnings if they park in a faculty spot, helping to avoid potential tickets. The app will also notify users of changes that might impact parking across campus.

“As more people use the app, the information becomes increasingly responsive and useful to what’s happening on campus,” Carlos said. “When parking activity is detected, that information can be reflected on the map, giving users a better picture of what’s happening in our parking facilities.”

This isn’t the first time ETSU has had a parking app. In 2014, ETSU released a previous parking app to help students see available parking around campus. The 2014 app installed and used sensors in the parking lots that counted the cars coming and going.

“At the time, some lots used a hardwired counting system,” Carlos said. “The system relied on physical counting mechanisms that were exposed to East Tennessee weather and the wear and tear associated with vehicles driving over them. Over time, that could affect the accuracy and reliability of the information.”

Regarding the current app, Carlos said it uses crowdsourced technology to gather information, similar to Waze, providing a more flexible and accessible way to provide parking information.

“Rather than relying solely on physical counting equipment, the new app provides real-time parking availability directly to users through their phones,” Carlos said.

For more than a decade, ETSU has been working to improve parking convenience for its students and employees.

“We also wanted to provide a much more comprehensive experience rather than simply providing basic parking information. Features like navigation, vehicle location, favorites, alerts and integration with the university’s permit portal give users more parking resources within one platform,” Carlos said. This year’s brand-new parking app implements smarter technology that helps students and staff as the new school year begins.

Carlos said new updates will be coming to the app in order to match students’ needs. Users are encouraged to submit feedback within the app to report issues or inaccuracies to improve the app over time.

The app also features a leaderboard page, where Carlos said Parking and Transportation Services plans to use reward features to encourage app use.

“Students can earn points through their use of the app and by parking according to their permit designation, and Parking and Transportation Services will be offering prizes based on leaderboard participation,” she said.

Carlos reminded users that the app is a tool and does not replace the university’s parking regulations, posted signs or Tennessee parking laws.

The ETSU Parking App is available in the App Store or Google Play. Navigation is also available in Apple CarPlay.

Learn more at etsu.edu/facilities/parking/parking-app.php.

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