Glens Falls at a Glance

Deployment: 149 Fybr in-ground parking sensors

Location: Downtown Glens Falls, New York

Deployment began: September 2022

Applications: Real-time parking availability, utilization analysis and directed enforcement

Documented parking challenge: 20% of parkers in the downtown core exceeded posted time limits, accounting for 39% of parking hours

Privacy: Sensors do not read license plates

Driver experience: Real-time parking availability through the Park Glens Falls app

The Challenge

Glens Falls already had evidence that its downtown parking challenge wasn't simply a lack of spaces.

A City parking study found that 20% of parkers in the downtown core parked beyond posted time limits, yet those vehicles accounted for 39% of total parking hours. The study concluded that current parking demand did not justify investment in a new parking structure and specifically identified stricter enforcement as a way to redistribute demand toward outlying areas. 

The challenge was therefore not simply knowing that overstays occurred. It was finding a more efficient way to identify where they were happening and how long individual spaces had been occupied without requiring an enforcement officer to repeatedly patrol the same streets.

One Sensor Network, Multiple Uses

In September 2022, Glens Falls deployed Fybr in-ground parking sensors across its downtown streets. The system was designed to turn real-time, space-level parking activity into information the City could use for parking availability, utilization analysis and more targeted enforcement.

For drivers, the system supports real-time parking availability, helping people find open spaces rather than circulating downtown looking for parking.

For the City, the same sensor network provides continuous information about occupancy, parking duration and utilization, creating a clearer picture of how individual spaces and downtown areas are actually being used.

And for parking enforcement, the data enables a more targeted workflow.

From Chalking to Directed Enforcement

Traditional time-limit enforcement can require an officer to chalk tires, record vehicles and later return to determine which ones have remained beyond the posted limit.

When the Fybr system was installed, Glens Falls Development Director Jeff Flagg described a different approach: using parking-duration data to provide better information about which spaces had been occupied and for how long, rather than requiring an enforcement officer to continually chalk tires and circle back. The system could alert an officer when a vehicle had exceeded the allowable time.

That's the principle behind directed enforcement: rather than treating every parked vehicle as something that needs to be manually checked, real-time occupancy and duration data can help direct attention toward potential violations.

Fybr provides the information needed to identify where attention may be warranted. The City retains control over its enforcement policies and whether a citation is appropriate.

Why It Matters

Glens Falls illustrates why real-time parking occupancy is more valuable when the same data can support multiple objectives.

The City's parking study showed that a relatively small share of parkers accounted for a disproportionate share of parking hours through overstays. Fybr's sensor network gives the City real-time information about where vehicles are parked and how long spaces remain occupied, creating a more efficient way to focus attention on exceptions.

At the same time, the same infrastructure supports real-time parking availability for drivers and continuous utilization data for city staff.

For cities with limited staff and resources, that's an important distinction. Better parking management doesn't necessarily require checking more vehicles. It can begin with giving existing staff better information about where attention is actually needed.

Practical Questions for Cities

Do Fybr parking sensors read license plates?

No. Fybr's in-ground parking sensors detect whether a parking space is occupied and how long it remains occupied. They do not capture license plates or identify the vehicle or driver. This allows cities to manage parking availability, utilization and duration without collecting vehicle-identifying information.

How does directed enforcement differ from chalking tires?

Instead of requiring an enforcement officer to chalk vehicles and later return to determine which ones remain, space-level occupancy and duration data can identify potential overstays that warrant attention.

The City still determines its enforcement policies and whether a citation should be issued.

Sources

The Glens Falls Parking Study independently documents the underlying parking challenge. Its executive summary found that 20% of parkers in the core area exceeded posted time limits and accounted for 39% of parking hours. It also concluded that current demand did not justify investment in a new parking structure and recommended stricter enforcement to redistribute parking demand toward outlying areas. 

Read the Glens Falls Parking Study here

The Glens Falls Chronicle's September 2022 coverage of the Fybr deployment provides contemporaneous detail on how the City planned to use real-time parking data for parking availability, utilization analysis and more efficient enforcement. 

Read the Glens Falls Chronicle article here