Park your car online

Let me tell you, parking in the Metro Boston area is atrocious. Cambridge is particularly tough, as it reserves a ton of space for residents; back when I was actually a resident, it was somewhat useful, though honestly I spent a lot more time walking places. Now that my little sticker is invalid, I’m relegated to trying to find a metered space, hoping I have enough quarters, and hovering nearby to feed it.

That’s why this Wired News article on high-tech parking struck me as such a great idea, especially the section on SpotScout, a web-based offering where people can offer their parking spaces to people in exchange for cash. It’s almost like Zipcar in reverse. The site allows you to access the listings via your cellphone instead of constantly circling and hoping somewhat pulls out. You can also reserve spots ahead of time from your computer. SpotScout also hooks up with local garages to keep track of how many spaces are available in them.

SpotScout is free to join, with no monthly fees. It’ll be launching in July in San Francisco, New York and—hurrah!—Boston.