Startups

Checking in with SpotHero after a year of parking in Baltimore

The Chicago-based parking app is gearing up for summer and looking for continued growth in Charm City.

SpotHero aims to fill these lines. (Photo by Flickr user radcliffe dacanay, used under a Creative Commons license)

Despite transit options like the Charm City Circulator (now on Google Maps!) and Light Rail, driving is a part of many people’s day in Baltimore.
“You have to drive and when you have to drive you have to park,” said Matt Sullivan, a general manager for the parking app SpotHero.
It’s been a year since the Chicago-based company expanded to Baltimore and SpotHero has steadily been adding users and more parking facilities to its operations in the city. The company recently launched in Philadelphia and celebrated its fifth anniversary:


“We have all of these users and we want to find options for them,” Sullivan said. “We want them to have the option for when they go to the Inner Harbor and then also need monthly parking for work.”
Sullivan said the company is focusing on regular users, people who need monthly parking or live in the city.
“This summer will really let us know about our users,”he said. “We know it’s a big baseball town so we focus on Camden Yards. There is a lot of development on the waterfront, and especially in the summer.”
A lot of people streaming into the city means a bigger demand for parking. Sullivan said enough of a demand for SpotHero to hold its own against Baltimore-based Parking Panda.
“I really think there is enough of a demand to compete,” he said. “Everyone drives and there are a lot of parking facilities. We have a very loyal user group.”
And as for the term “Smalltimore,” that doesn’t apply to the parking game.
“It’s a small town but not that small,” Sullivan said.
In the past year, SpotHero has added 50 percent more parking facilities to its Charm City roster. Sullivan said he wants to double the number of parking locations in Baltimore and expand the local team working for the app. Once the expansion in the city is complete, Sullivan has his eye on the surrounding suburbs.

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