(FOX 2) - A new app could change how people park in metro Detroit. It's called Prked and allows people to rent private parking spaces to others.
The idea for Prked comes from 22-year-old University of Florida graduate Zack Saadioui and a friend, who both majored in computer science and thought of the idea while attending a crowded football game last year.
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Prked app, ‘the Airbnb of parking,’ coming soon to Southfield
A new app that is being called 'the Airbnb of parking' is coming soon to be tested in metro Detroit.
“We saw a bunch of people holding up signs trying to rent out their parking spot or their driveway,” Zack says. The two college grads then launched the free app in the Miami area in late February. The app is now being called the Airbnb of parking.
“So far we got a little over 400 spots listed on the platform. We've got a little under 3,000 users."
Basically hosts list their spaces at their own hourly, daily, weekly or monthly rates.
“You could add any features you have, like if you have a camera, a well-lit place or a covered place.”
Zack is now planning to expand Prked to Michigan with the first target city being Southfield.
“We want to target areas that are not huge cities but kind of suburban-ish. We want to launch in a few others in that area and see how it goes," Zack says.
He says they plan to advertise to potential hosts next month and hopefully be up and running in Southfield by the end of the year. And up next? Possibly cities like Detroit, Ferndale and Royal Oak.