Populus' SaaS product is now being used by more than 100 cities in the US and Israel, which can help with curbside parking and congestion. The software gathers data on shared fleets, such as e-bikes, scooters, and car-sharing, according to TechCrunch.
(Photo : David McNew/Newsmakers)
388836 02: The curbside parking space where the wife of actor Robert Blake was shot dead in a car the night before is empty May 5, 2001 in Los Angeles, CA. The corner house, top center, is the home of Sean Stanek, a friend to whom Robert ran for help. Leebonny (Bonnie) Bakley, 44, was shot in the head while the actor returned to a restaurant to retrieve a handgun he left behind. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police said they questioned the "Baretta" actor as a witness and he is not a suspect.
The collected data is then shared with cities to help planners and regulators understand and manage and streets are used. They can also use the Populus API to share information, such as restrictions on motorized vehicles, preferred scooter parking areas, and bike lanes.
The Curb Management Feature
Now, the curb management feature of the software may be extremely useful. The feature provides cities with data on how curbs are used. That way, they can set dynamic pricing and free up congestion. The demand is higher for this, especially with the popularity of same-day and next-day delivery.
Fortunately, the company has raised $11 million in a Series A round to scale its existing product and their curb management software. The money will also be used to make strategic hires to double their current headcount of 25 people over the next year.
The curb management feature gets data from fleet operators through the platform, so they know where the most demand is. Then, they can create new parking policies ad enforce them through the platform.
This data is crucial for cities trying to reduce their emissions. Although many companies are now doing trial runs of e-cargo bikes, there are still a lot of deliveries that are completed by gas-powered trucks and vans. With Populus' curb management software, it can help steer fleet operators to park in areas that reduce issues.
Moreover, it can help implement smarter policies backed by their curb data to incentivize delivery operators to use smaller, and more carbon-efficient modes of transportation.
Also Read: Here's How Parking Ticket Dispute Apps Are Helping People with Disabilities
The Future Plans
Should everything go smoothly, Populus plans to focus on congestion pricing in the future in cities, such as New York. Also, even though the company is based in North America, they have reached Tel Aviv and is already pursuing major European cities.
There have been a lot of congestion issues in parking lots and even curbs due to vehicles not being able to fit in. This is because of the increase in deliveries from e-commerce, ride-sharing, and even car-sharing, which could be the solution.
With the curb management software, Populus hopes to collaborate with cities to create dynamic pricing for parking spots. And with the data that they have from their earlier software, they can build a more reliable tool to do it.
Related Article: EV Chargers To Be Installed on NYC Curbsides Starting October
This article is owned by Tech Times.
Written by: April Fowell
