Serving Mosman delivers on parking

Parking and traffic congestion are consistently the two biggest bugbears in our community. “Do something about the parking” is a constant Mosman mantra. In 2013 the then Council, led by Mayor Peter Abelson, determined to identify major parking issues and elicit a solution. Despite extensive community consultation, we received very little feedback. The issue was explored again in 2015, and again there was very little community feedback. No more consultation: it was time to act.

All the Serving Mosman Councillors on Council at the time wanted to find solutions to improve existing supply and encourage more car trips by activating time-based parking zones. This led to the installation of parking technology around Mosman in 2016. Gone would be the days of marking tyres with chalk, an obsolete enforcement technique that was “hit and miss” with hotchpotch coverage.

It is really important to stress that the enforcement technology was not turned on until 2020. In the interim, a Council parking app provided users with real-time data on occupancy of car parks and data for any parking area where sensors are located. A multi-media awareness campaign was turned on and timed parking restrictions were reviewed – for example an increase from 1 to 2 hours in some sections of the Vista St Carpark to allow visitors to the nearby gym to relax and enjoy their fitness class or workout without panicking about getting a fine.

Above: The Mosman Parking App in action

The really wonderful news is that technology has increased the parking supply in our high-demand shopping areas and increased compliance and reduced overstays.

And yes, we all hate parking fines, so it is important to report that the number of fines issued since introducing the parking sensors is broadly consistent with previous years. This means the ‘no fail’ timing technology is encouraging people to do the right thing and leave on time.