Parking App Wins Apps 4 Metro Chicago Competition

By Chuck Sudo in News on Dec 16, 2011 10:50PM

Congratulations to SpotHero, which won top honors in the Apps 4 Metro Chicago competition.

Created by Jeremy Smith and Mark Lawrence, SpotHero connects people looking for parking with the owners of open parking spots, allowing those owners to earn extra income on their spots when they're unoccupied, and allowing hassle-free parking for people looking for a spot. SpotHero allows people looking for parking to browse for empty spots in the neighborhoods where they're looking for it.

Smith and Lawrence decided to create SpotHero after they found major lots across the city operate at 85 percent capacity during peak parking hours, but at only 20 percent during evening hours, and feel their system can ease congestion and increase business revenue for parking lot owners.

Here's video of Smith explaining SpotHero. He and Lawrence won $10,000 for creating SpotHero in the competition.