Lowrider cars are parked at the premiere of Machete in Los Angeles
The City of Los Angeles has debuted a real time parking app with Streetline that tells users where metered parking spaces are available. REUTERS

Parking in a big city, like say Los Angeles or New York, is never fun; yet thanks to a new app it could be getting a lot easier.

In conjunction with the City of Los Angeles, Streetline, a smarter cities consultant, has created an app called the Parker for iPhone App, which gives drivers real-time parking information. It alerts users where there are open metered parking spaces or parking garages on a particular city block.

We are excited that Los Angeles is the first city in the country to offer this unique app to residents and visitors, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in a statement. By making parking easier, we can help people get where they are going faster, and reduce pollution and traffic congestion caused by drivers circling in hopes of finding an open spot.

The app has a map interface with numbers on each block indicating how many metered spaces are open on that street. Blocks with the most parking available are starred. The information extends beyond that, as time limits, pricing and whether or not the meter takes credit cards or coins is also given to users.

Sometimes it feels like more movie stars have been discovered in Hollywood than parking spaces. This app will help drivers save time, reduce traffic and air pollution, and make visiting Hollywood even more enjoyable than it already is, Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti said in a statement.

Streetline says the app is able to detect the presence of a car through a network of ultra-low power wireless sensors located in each parking space. This information is then transmitted to the user's iPhone.

We are excited to partner with the City of Los Angeles to launch this innovative service for locals and visitors in Hollywood, Zia Yusuf, CEO of Streetline, said in a statement. We applaud Los Angeles for exploring and implementing smart parking solutions that can not only transform how people park, but also address the critical need to reduce traffic and pollution.

The app will cost $1.99.

Hollywood New York Apple inc. Iphone