Quick answers about how ParkAlly works, what data we use, and what to expect at launch.
No. You can use ParkAlly as a guest to search destinations, view parking on a map or list, apply filters, view spot details, queue candidates, and run a parking session timer. Creating an account unlocks favorites, parking history, a persistent queue, and push notifications.
ParkAlly is built for Ottawa, Canada. Parking data comes from City of Ottawa open data (paid meters and municipal zones) plus Google Maps for places and directions. Support for additional cities may come in the future.
Paid meter and municipal lot data is sourced from Ottawa Open Data via ArcGIS. Map display and place search use Google Maps Platform. When live data is unavailable, the app can fall back to mock data for development and testing.
The queue lets you line up multiple parking candidates and check them in order. Tap Go to open navigation for the first spot. When you find parking, mark Found spot to end the queue and start your session timer. Guest users can queue up to 5 spots per session; registered users can queue up to 10 with persistence across warm app resumes.
After you mark a spot as found, ParkAlly starts a countdown based on the spot's time limit. You'll see a live timer and progress bar. At 80% of your allowed time, you get a warning. If you exceed the limit, the app shows overstay guidance with suggested next steps.
Yes, when you grant permission. Location is used to find nearby parking, sort results by walking time, and monitor your route during guided queue navigation. Location data is not sold. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
Yes — ParkAlly is being built for both platforms. The app is coming soon to the App Store and Google Play. Check back on this site for download links when listings go live.
If you create an account, authentication is handled by Supabase Auth. Your email and hashed password are stored securely on Supabase servers. App preferences, favorites, and queue data are stored in a Postgres database with row-level security — you can only access your own data.
