Tyler Technologies’ Open Data Platform Supports Seattle’s Groundbreaking Parking Research

Seattle leverages the Socrata solution to host information on 11 million annual parking transactions, paving the way for a better way to park

Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: TYL) announced today a groundbreaking initiative from the city of Seattle, Washington, powered by its Socrata® Open Data solution, to improve parking throughout the city.

The initiative, which has been underway for the past two years, is based on analysis of a new public dataset that chronicles transactions of the city’s 12,000 paid on-street spaces. The dataset dates back to 2012, with updates as recent as the past 48 hours, and includes 11 million annual transactions with information on start and end time, the purchase amount, and the block, but does not contain personal information about drivers. Seattle is the first major U.S. city to publish this level of parking transaction data on its open data portal.

“We use this data to better understand curbspace conditions so that Seattle drivers can more reliably find parking,” said Mary Catherine Snyder, parking strategist at the Seattle Department of Transportation. “We hope that making this data publicly accessible will help traffic and curbspace navigation services as well as other transportation agencies develop smart city solutions to curbspace management issues in Seattle and elsewhere.”

From a development perspective, this data can inform traffic navigation systems, which can use the data to predict where a space might be available. The city has partnered with the University of Washington Information School to build a predictive parking model for the city, using data delivered by Socrata.

“Most parking studies are done in cities where there are sensors in the ground to track how many cars are parked, but those sensors are expensive, and a lot of cities don’t have them,” said Allison Chapman, a UW graduate student involved in the research. “This gives us the only window we have into parking behavior in Seattle. Parking can be a frustrating activity for a lot of drivers, and this data lets us take the first step in streamlining that process.”

While Seattle is one of the few U.S. cities with growing transit ridership, officials are also weighing mobility options such as car- and ride-sharing, which can help ease the reliance on personal vehicles to move about the city. Even with this proactive work, motorists continue to need a smarter way to park.

“By leveraging Socrata’s open data platform because of its ability to ingest, store, and serve vast amounts of data with minimal configuration, the city of Seattle is making these new datasets available to help alleviate traffic congestion,” said Seattle Open Data Manager Paul Alley. “Tyler’s Socrata platform provides all of the scalability and capacity benefits of the cloud, while minimizing the amount of effort we invest in custom development and system administration.”

For the past decade, Tyler’s Socrata data platform solution has enabled government agencies to drive more use and value from their data. Socrata empowers government officials to lead with data and create more engaged and informed communities.

Parking is a global issue, and Tyler has a history of supporting innovative approaches to it, including work with the city of Melbourne, Australia, and the Netherlands Vehicle Authority, which leverages Socrata to power the country’s parking registry and data for 35 million monthly parking transactions.

“Anyone who has had a frustrating parking experience can appreciate the value of Seattle’s work,” said Franklin Williams, president of Tyler’s Data & Insights Division. “This machine-readable parking data is one of the largest datasets Socrata powers, and we hope this kind of work will be repeated by other cities to find a smarter way to get from Point A to Point B.”

About Tyler Technologies, Inc.

Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) is the largest and most established provider of integrated software and technology services focused on the public sector. Tyler’s end-to-end solutions empower local, state, and federal government entities to operate more efficiently and connect more transparently with their constituents and with each other. By connecting data and processes across disparate systems, Tyler’s solutions are transforming how clients gain actionable insights that solve problems in their communities. Tyler has more than 21,000 successful installations across 10,000 sites, with clients in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and other international locations. A financially strong company, Tyler has achieved double-digit revenue growth every quarter since 2012. It was also named to Forbes’ “Best Midsize Employers” list in 2018 and recognized twice on its “Most Innovative Growth Companies” list. More information about Tyler Technologies, headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at tylertech.com.

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Jennifer KeplerTyler [e-mail]