Parking App Provider Touts Color-Code Feature

Atlanta-based Parkmobile LLC, in which BMW AG acquired a majority stake earlier this year, is adding a feature to its smartphone parking system that helps drivers find available spots faster.

The new Parkmobile Pro feature uses a color-coded system to show streets where parking is plentiful (green), limited (yellow) and not available (red). Streets where parking is prohibited are designated in gray.

Parkmobile’s base service identifies parking lots and streets with parking availability but doesn’t pinpoint open spots. The company says the new service will help direct motorists to areas where open parking spots are most likely, thereby reducing the risk of losing a spot to another vehicle.

The new feature is available only to ParkmobilePro members, which costs 99 cents per month. Membership also includes discounted parking fees and special offers from such third-party services as roadside assistance, rental cars and oil changes.

As with Parkmobile’s free base service, the new feature allows users to reserve and prepay for parking in participating lots. The 10-year-old company says it has coverage in some 3,000 locations in more than 100 U.S. cities, including seven of the country’s top 10 metropolitan areas.

Watch a video about the new service here.