The Woodward Dream Cruise presented by Ford has joined forces with ParkStash and SMART Bus
App will display ParkStash and SMART Ride parking locations and shuttle routes
The Woodward Dream Cruise presented by Ford has joined forces with ParkStash and the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) to offer visitors of the dream cruise a seamless park and ride experience. Cruisers that download the ParkStash app will be able to check real time parking occupancy, book a parking spot and locate the nearest SMART bus stop to ride SMART’s free shuttle along Woodward Avenue. SMART will also provide relevant announcements on the ParkStash app for those using the free bus shuttle.
ParkStash app is available on Android, iOS and Web platforms.
SMART has provided cruisers’ a unique viewing perch on our buses for many years as the official shuttle for the Woodward Dream Cruise. Partnering with ParkStash, cruisers now have the added benefit of knowing where to park near a shuttle bus stop and board one of our air-conditioned buses and ride to their favorite location along Woodward.
— Robert Cramer, Deputy General Manager of SMART
Background on Woodward Dream Cruise presented by Ford & SMART
In August 1995, Nelson House and a group of volunteers looked to relive and recreate the nostalgic heydays of the 50s and 60s, when youth, music and Motor City steel roamed Woodward Avenue, America’s first highway. That year, 250,000 people participated — nearly ten times the number expected. The rest, as they say, is history.
Today, the Woodward Dream Cruise is the world’s largest one-day automotive event, drawing 1.5 million people and 40,000 classic cars each year from around the globe — from as far away as New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the former Soviet Union. North American cruisers from California, Georgia, Canada and all points in between caravan to Metro Detroit to participate in what has become, for many, an annual rite of summer.
SMART has participated in the cruise for 19 of the 26 years and is happy to provide cruisers an elevated position in an air conditioned bus. Serving since 1967, SMART is Southeast Michigan’s only regional public transportation provider, offering convenient, reliable, and safe transportation for Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties.
- SMART bus routes provide access to more than 67,000 businesses and 850,000 jobs.
- Approximately 2 million people live within a ¼ mile radius of a SMART bus route.
- Over 9 million people including seniors, students and professionals use SMART to travel to work, school, doctor’s offices, and shopping centers annually.
- All SMART buses are equipped with bike racks.
- The SMART bus system offers a variety of Fixed-Route and curb-to-curb service options and programs with 47 bus routes and over 5,300 bus stops.
Why is the collaboration important?
During the Woodward Dream Cruise presented by Ford, SMART offers a free shuttle bus and cruisers may board at any RED SMART and FAST bus stop along Woodward Avenue. The Woodward Dream Cruise presented by Ford wanted a platform which can:
- Provide safe and close parking locations to alleviate congestion to and from the event Offer an app base solution to show the cruise route and fun festivities in the participating communities
- Provide ability to communicate with the community regarding any important announcements
ParkStash has over 1,000 available parking spots on it’s app for the Woodward Dream Cruise presented by Ford and many are within walking distance to a SMART bus stop. ParkStash has a great expertise in working with event and transportation companies to show shuttle routes with occupancy and announcements capabilities This collaboration is mutually beneficial to all parties involved.
The Woodward Dream Cruise is pleased to have Parkstash as our official parking app. Their goal is to reduce the hassle and provide convenience in finding the spectator a parking location during one of the largest events in metro Detroit.
— Michael C. Lary, President of Woodward Dream Cruise
How it works
The ParkStash app, provides a list of available parking spots close to the cruise route and the locations to board a SMART bus.
Follow 3 easy steps below to get started:
1. Check ParkStash occupancy list — Click on the RED SMART Logo shown on map located on Woodward Avenue to go to SMART Screen. Participants will see a list of available parking locations
2. See SMART Announcements — Click on Bell on top right to check important announcements fromSMART.
3. See Shuttle Routes — Click on Show Bus route button to see shuttle routes along Woodward from 8 Mile to Pontiac. You can zoom in to see locations of nearest bus stops.With ParkStash app, you can see list of available Park & Ride Locations with real time occupancy, Announcements and Shuttle Routes
You can also search and book parking at the parking locations on the app.
Follow these 3 easy steps to book a spot at one of these locations.
- Filter & Search — Enter your destination and filter spots based on Park & Ride Amenity from Filter by Amenities Screen.
- Book — Choose from available options, add your vehicle and payment information and book.
- Navigate — Navigate to your spot directly from the app via Booking History.
ParkStash app is available on Android, iOS and Web platforms.
We are excited to partner with SMART and offer visitors of Dream Cruise an all-in-one transportation solution, so they don’t have to waste time, money or resources circling around looking for parking spots and information regarding transportation options. With ParkStash you can plan your day ahead of time and fully enjoy what Dream Cruise has in store for you.
- Sameer Saran, CEO at ParkStash
Benefits
ParkStash and SMART working with the Woodward Dream Cruise presented by Ford will not only provide a seamless experience to visitors, but also help in reducing risk of COVID transmissions, have a positive environmental impact by reducing traffic congestion getting to and leaving from the event and save money.
For us it is about creating a delightful experience for Woodward Dream Cruise event-goers where they are immersed in the event. ParkStash and Smart Bus have joined forces to provide eventgoers with an easy experience looking for parking, dealing with traffic, and more importantly staying cool and comfortable during the event.
- Hooman Bolandi, President at ParkStash
Cashless and Contactless Transportation Solution
Cruisers will be able to pay and park via mobile app without any phsical interaction, reducing risks of COVID transmissions. Safety of people is our top priority.
Postive Environmental Impact
Historically, with thousands of cars and RVs on road for this event, average circling around time has been 50 mins in and out of event. Assuming these vehicles drive at an average 30mi/hr, by eliminating circling around time for even just 1,000 vehicles, we will be saving 1,380 gallons of gasoline, 833+ hours of time wasted, 123 metric tons of CO2 emissions.
Source of Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculations — EPA
Reduce Traffic Congestion
According to a study by Professor Donald Shoup 30% of traffic congestion is caused due to people looking for parking. By providing ability for people to check real time availability, search and book parking spots close to their destination, we will help reduce traffic congestion in the neighborhood communities and drive traffic away from hot zones. This in turn will lead to reduction in accidents and road rage, helping us fulfill our mission of creating safe and secure communities.
For Visitors
Apart from being able to search and book parking spots near bus stops and checking shuttle routes, visitors will stay cool while riding in a bus during WDC and be part of the event by spending more time enjoying the cruise.
What’s next?
We are working with SMART for securing and offering new Park and Ride Locations to the community for Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons games for next season! This will enable users to:
- Buy event tickets and parking passes
- Get in and out of stadium quickly
- Check shuttle routes for the games
That’s all folks! Keep calm and enjoy stress free parking experience!
About The Woodward Dream Cruise presented by Ford
The Woodward Dream Cruise is the world’s largest one-day celebration of classic car culture that attracts over 1 million visitors, and more than 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest vehicles. The official Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise route is a 16-mile radius, running through nine participating municipalities within Oakland County in Michigan.
About ParkStash
ParkStash started as the Airbnb of parking — connecting landowners like churches, hotels, restaurants, homeowners, business owners with unused parking spots to drivers looking for one.
Today, our product portfolio includes Live Occupancy Status of Garages, Targeted Color-Coded Announcements, Just in Time Parking Inventory, E-Permits, Mobile Parking Citation Payments, Free/Paid Event Ticket Reservations with Bundling, Bus Routes, EV Charge and Pay, Enterprise Web Dashboard and Analytics.
Our parking solutions support both individual consumers and organizations like Universities, Cities, Municipalities, Event Centers and Private Companies.
Our mission is to make parking as easy as grabbing a cup of coffee and to build cities with sustainable parking.
ParkStash app is available on Android, iOS and Web platforms.
Inquires? Please email support@findparkstash.com or call us at (408) 320–9765.
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About SMART
The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is Southeast Michigan’s regional bus system helping people connect to work, school, medical appointments, shopping centers, entertainment and cultural events. SMART provides different types of transit services, each meeting a different need and giving residents the opportunity to get where they need to go. SMART continually monitors its routes and ridership, to make sure its resources are effectively and efficiently utilized, eliminating unproductive routes and reassigning those resources to high demand routes.
