Parking can be a hassle, especially when the good parking spots are gone. The parking game has officially been changed:  at least for school. Senior Ayaz Hafiz has created a parking app for West students called “Coit.” After a few months of taking pictures of the school’s different parking lots and observing what goes on within them, Hafiz created an algorithm. By utilizing an algorithm that takes into consideration the time of arrival, weather conditions, the distance of the parking lot from the school and how full the parking lot can get at certain times, the app provides percentages of optimal locations to park within each lot.

“You select a time, your estimated time of arrival, and then the app will print out your three best options for parking,” Hafiz said.

Although the app is not available in app stores, it is accessed via the website coit.pw. Therefore, it can be used on any smartphone type such as iPhones, Androids, and more.

“You can just download it online, ” Hafiz said. “It’s easy for everyone.”

The app is designed to maximize efficiency when deciding where to park. The idea for the app came about when Hafiz himself was driving to school last year and had observed several recurring problems while trying to park. Hafiz witnessed some minor accidents, where the police needed to be involved. Hafiz responded by creating an app that reduces the traffic and stress that comes along with trying to find a place to park, which eliminated any potential problems, especially for incoming students.

“Why have to make the next year’s juniors go through all this?” Hafiz said. “If they can know where the best places to park are, they won’t have to deal with the shenanigans that might go on.”