Autonomous Parking Means Never Fighting for a Spot Again

Finding a parking spot just got easier with the CityLift automated car park.

Soon, having to park the car yourself will be a thing of the past thanks to San Francisco-based CityLift, a company built on the vision of real estate developers and engineers who designed automated space-saving parking systems.

CityLift systems use racks, rails, chains and motors and comes in a variety of configurations—from the “puzzle,” which comes in 2, 3, 4 and 5-level configurations; with or without pits and is ideal for new construction or retrofits, to the “stacker,” which is good in urban areas. There’s also the “tower,” made of steel beams and columns which doubles as the building structure and is ideal for narrow spaces. The “aisle” for high-density areas can be built below or above ground, and the “shuffle” eliminates drive aisles allowing for maximum parking spaces in one-story environments.

According to an article in the San Francisco Business Times, construction recently started on the company’s first automated parking tower. It allows people to drive their car into a sliding platform that lifts the car (after the person gets out, of course) into a multi-level parking tower.

In this scenario, first a height sensor inspects your car to make sure it fits the height limits, then the garage automatically opens, you pull in, get out, get your ticket and say good-bye to your ride. The car is efficiently delivered back to you upon your return with your parking ticket.

The SF Business Times article says that CityLift touts a smaller footprint and cheaper costs for its systems compared to traditional parking structures, leaving more space and money for commercial use or housing.

I’d just be happy to not have to fight for a parking spot.