Northfield, Ill.– The hassle of finding a spot in a big parking garage and remembering where you parked may soon be a thing of the past.
The prototype of new fully automated parking garage is coming to the Chicago area this summer.
For decades developers have been trying to solve the parking problem– how to get more cars in a smaller space, parking carousels, lifts, elevators, etc.
Now there’s a new system that uses conveyor belts.
You don’t need a valet or attendant, you just park your car, take a ticket and you`re on your way.
Kevin Macdonald, a commercial developer, said, “You pull up to the front, get your ticket, asks you four to five questions, make sure you didn’t leave anyone in car and you pull away and the system takes over from there.”
Macdonald is a commercial developer who is partnering with U-ParkIt to bring its’ technology to the Chicago area.
“So as you’re going down the Edens you’re gonna see a five story structure, the prototype will be built here in Northfield at the fields group BMW/Land Rover facility this summer. It will be the first of its kind in the Midwest.” Macdonald said.
The U-ParkIt it garage is secure and it can fit three times the number of cars of that in a conventional lot and it can prevent this from ever happening:
“I thought I parked in orange?”
The fully automated garages are gaining popularity overseas in Europe and Asia but haven’t yet made a big splash in the U.S.
You’ll be able to see the prototype this summer as you drive down the Edens near Willow.
Developers will use it as a showcase to demonstrate the technology with hope of it making its way downtown or in other towns.
For more information:
www.uparkit.com
https://www.facebook.com/uparkitna