GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — An innovative method to address parking availability in downtown Grand Rapids is under consideration, and residents have the opportunity to participate in the discussion today.
City officials are evaluating a partnership with two companies to gather data on existing parking conditions, which includes the use of drones. This initiative aims to enhance the understanding of parking demand and develop a more sustainable parking strategy.
According to Mobile GR, the plan involves flying drones 300 to 400 feet above downtown Grand Rapids to capture high-resolution images of parking areas over a three-week period. This data collection is designed to provide insights into current and future parking needs.
Privacy concerns surrounding the use of drones were raised during a July 29 public safety committee meeting. Max Dillivan, a transportation planner with Mobile GR, emphasized the limitations of the data being collected, stating, "The limitations of this data that I want to really highlight is that we won't be collecting any identifiable features such as license plates, vehicle identification numbers, bumper stickers, etc. These would be the types of information that would be collected with a manual count, and it's not necessary if drones are deployed in this particular instance."
The estimated cost of the drone project is around $180,000. Under the city of Grand Rapids' administrative policy, the use of surveillance equipment must receive approval from the city commission following a review by the public safety committee and a public hearing.
Today's public hearing is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. during the City Commission Meeting on the 9th floor of City Hall.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
