Would you use an app to help you find parking?

The U.S. Department of Transportation and Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs have announced a new platform, Flow, which uses real-time data to direct users to available parking and helps adjust travel patterns to alleviate congestion.

“Essentially the way this will work is we will build a platform to ingest different forms of data to help users understand [it] in real time,” said Sidewalk CEO Dan Doctoroff. “It can come from third party apps or city’s own data [about road closures/construction]. It will enable cities to create dashboards for transportation, parking.”

This effort is part of USDOT's Smart City Challenge program that seeks to identify sources of congestion and areas underserved by public transit.

“Empowering disadvantaged communities to take advantage of technology and innovation is a key component of the Smart City Challenge,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “By embracing smart technologies and concepts that eliminate the digital divide, strengthen connections to jobs and remove physical barriers to access, we can strengthen communities throughout the country.  Our partnership with Sidewalk Labs will help cities engage citizens, improve access to mobility and help cities manage evolving transportation challenges.”

You can learn more about Flow by clicking here.